BBC NEWS | Technology | Virtual humans edge closer
Virtual humans edge closer
By Spencer Kelly
BBC ClickOnline
For years, one of the main goals in computer graphics has been to recreate a totally convincing human being on screen, something that looks and acts so life-like that it is indistinguishable from a real person.
The Dawn demo draws detailed graphics at high speeds
But human beings are hard to recreate, because along with all those tiny details in the way we look, there is the way we move, our expressions.
Now there is a new type of computer graphics card which is bringing virtual humans a lot closer.
Its amazing the computing power needed to do this, but the results are stunning. However, I'm not absolutely convinced that this is the right way to go for everything. Taking Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, there is a long passage which describes how Humans recognise faces more easily if they are characterised or abstract rather than realistic.
Is the intention of programers to confuse or hoodwink people into thinking these graphics are real? Or is it purely for the sake of being able to do it? Whatever the reason perhaps more thought is needed to ascertain what kind of user interface/graphics people prefer, understand and relate to.
Posted by Paul Goodison at July 28, 2003 09:29 AM | TrackBack