Geppetto: An environment for the efficient control and transmission of digital puppetry

Abstract

An evolution of remote control puppetry systems is presented. These systems have been designed to provide high quality trainer to trainee communication in game scenarios containing multiple digital puppets with interaction occurring over long haul networks. The design requirements were to support dynamic switching of control between multiple puppets; suspension of disbelief when communicating through puppets; sensitivity to network bandwidth requirements; and as an affordable tool for professional interactive trainers (Interactors). The resulting system uses a novel pose blending solution guided by a scaled down desktop range motion capture controller as well as traditional button devices running on an standard game computer. This work incorporates aspects of motion capture, digital puppet design and rigging, game engines, networking, interactive performance, control devices and training. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.