Thesis (M.S. in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES))--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Xiaoping Yun. Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-62). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S. in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Don Brutzman, Curt Blais. Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-118). Also available online.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / The objective of the ongoing MARG project is to animate human motions captured by 15 MARG sensors in wireless networked virtual environment (NVES). Three avatars were developed previously, but none of them met all the desired requirements. The first one was overly simplistic and did not implement H-Anim standards. The other two were created using laser-scanned data and followed the H-Anim standards, but one had its adjacent joints broken and the other was capable of rotating only one joint. Therefore, the cartoon-type humanoid, Andy, was developed to meet the needs of the MARG project. The humanoid Andy implements H-Anim standards using built-in X3D humanoid nodes and is capable of controlling all its 15 joints in NVES. Another need of the MARG project was a wireless network interface for real-time data streaming. A concurrent client-server program implementing multicasting using TCP and UDP protocols was developed for this purpose. Using WiSER2400.IP serial adapters between the MARG sensors and the server program adds a wireless capability to the project. The server program converts the raw MARG sensor data to quaternions using the Quest algorithm. Multiple clients are supported by the system. Each client program receives the motion data and updates the humanoid Andy. / Lieutenant Junior Grade, Turkish Navy

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 85 p. : ill. (some col.), col. maps + AVI movie and VRML computer files. Includes AVI movie and VRML files. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-85).

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Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sign Language is a fully-fledged natural language possessing its own syntax and grammar; a fact which implies that the problem of machine translation from a spoken source language to Sign Language is at least as difficult as machine translation between two spoken languages. Sign Language, however, is communicated in a modality fundamentally different from all spoken languages. Machine translation to Sign Language is therefore burdened not only by a mapping from one syntax and grammar to another, but also, by a non-trivial transformation from one communicational modality to another. With regards to the computer visualization of Sign Language; what is required is a three dimensional, temporally accurate, visualization of signs including both the manual and nonmanual components which can be viewed from arbitrary perspectives making accurate understanding and imitation more feasible. Moreover, given that facial expressions and movements represent a fundamental basis for the majority of non-manual signs, any system concerned with the accurate visualization of Sign Language must rely heavily on a facial animation component capable of representing a well-defined set of emotional expressions as well as a set of arbitrary facial movements. This thesis investigates the development of such a computer facial animation system. We address the problem of delivering coordinated, temporally constrained, facial animation sequences in an online environment using VRML. Furthermore, we investigate the animation, using a muscle model process, of arbitrary three-dimensional facial models consisting of multiple aligned NURBS surfaces of varying refinement. Our results showed that this approach is capable of representing and manipulating high fidelity three-dimensional facial models in such a manner that localized distortions of the models result in the recognizable and realistic display of human facial expressions and that these facial expressions can be displayed in a coordinated, synchronous manner. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gebaretaal is 'n volwaardige natuurlike taal wat oor sy eie sintaks en grammatika beskik. Hierdie feit impliseer dat die probleem rakende masjienvertaling vanuit 'n gesproke taal na Gebaretaal net so moeilik is as masjienvertaling tussen twee gesproke tale. Gebaretaal word egter in 'n modaliteit gekommunikeer wat in wese van alle gesproke tale verskil. Masjienvertaling in Gebaretaal word daarom nie net belas deur 'n afbeelding van een sintaks en grammatika op 'n ander nie, maar ook deur beduidende omvorming van een kommunikasiemodaliteit na 'n ander. Wat die gerekenariseerde visualisering van Gebaretaal betref, vereis dit 'n driedimensionele, tyds-akkurate visualisering van gebare, insluitend komponente wat met en sonder die gebruik van die hande uitgevoer word, en wat vanuit arbitrêre perspektiewe beskou kan word ten einde die uitvoerbaarheid van akkurate begrip en nabootsing te verhoog. Aangesien gesigsuitdrukkings en -bewegings die fundamentele grondslag van die meeste gebare wat nie met die hand gemaak word nie, verteenwoordig, moet enige stelsel wat te make het met die akkurate visualisering van Gebaretaal boonop sterk steun op 'n gesigsanimasiekomponent wat daartoe in staat is om 'n goed gedefinieerde stel emosionele uitdrukkings sowel as 'n stel arbitrre gesigbewegings voor te stel. Hierdie tesis ondersoek die ontwikkeling van so 'n gerekenariseerde gesigsanimasiestelsel. Die probleem rakende die lewering van gekordineerde, tydsbegrensde gesigsanimasiesekwensies in 'n intydse omgewing, wat gebruik maak van VRML, word aangeroer. Voorts word ondersoek ingestel na die animasie (hier word van 'n spiermodelproses gebruik gemaak) van arbitrre driedimensionele gesigsmodelle bestaande uit veelvoudige, opgestelde NURBS-oppervlakke waarvan die verfyning wissel. Die resultate toon dat hierdie benadering daartoe in staat is om hoë kwaliteit driedimensionele gesigsmodelle só voor te stel en te manipuleer dat gelokaliseerde vervormings van die modelle die herkenbare en realistiese tentoonstelling van menslike gesigsuitdrukkings tot gevolg het en dat hierdie gesigsuitdrukkings op 'n gekordineerde, sinchroniese wyse uitgebeeld kan word.