ORGANIC MOTION'S STAGE™ AND BIOSTAGE™ SYSTEMS GO TO SCHOOLS
Case Studies
New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia, Singapore
Using Organic Motion's STAGE™ system, the Tisch School of the Arts Asia recently launched a new Master of Fine Arts in Animation and Digital Arts curriculum. Designed to immerse students in a unique creative environment, the new program teaches the traditional forms of the art of animation and explores a sandbox of advanced techniques and digital technologies. To provide a deeper level of experience, Organic Motion's technology was selected to help students master digital animation and video techniques for observation, capture, analysis and visualization of motion from real life.
"We plan to use Organic Motion's technology for creating interactive animation about storytelling traditions," said Jean-Marc Gauthier, Director of the Animation and Digital Arts program. "Our next motion capture projects will explore theater, dance, gestures and postures in Asian culture and also emphasize collaborations between motion capture classes in New York and Singapore."
Organic Motion's STAGE was ideal to expand the program, by allowing anyone to walk into the system without relying on a technician, bodysuits or lengthy calibration times. Using the STAGE system, students will not only learn the basics of animation through motion capture, but will also leverage the technology for both prototyping and final product delivery.
Key Benefits:
·Convenience, calibration and integration
·Ideal for prototyping and final product development
·Plugin for Autodesk® MotionBuilder® for real-time capture
Digital Worlds Institute, University of Florida
At the University of Florida (UF) Digital Worlds Institute, both Organic Motion’s STAGE and BioSTAGE systems are used in the Research, Education and Visualization Environment (REVE). STAGE is utilized to create entirely new virtual experiences, and to study peoples’ interaction in digital arenas. Digital Worlds (DW) serves as a platform for interdisciplinary research and education that spans across various colleges and departments and its REVE facility hosts a wide variety of innovative activities.
Funding from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs supported DW, and partners from Malcolm Randall Veterans Administration Medical Center and the UF Office of Transdisciplinary Research and Innovation (OTRI), in the creation of a new therapeutic Virtual World Environment (VWE). Entitled Healing the Wounded Warrior: Virtual Environments for Therapeutic Solutions (VETS), the project is designed to serve as a treatment tool for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans returning home with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The VETS VWE will work to reintegrate the soldiers through virtual interactions in everyday civilian scenarios, designed to assist in the transitioning from traumatic war environments to coping with potentially annoying or stressful day-to-day situations back home.
"We’re using Organic Motion's technology as a portal into a virtual reality, not simply as an animation tool," says James Oliverio, DW Director and Professor of Digital Media. "Treating PTSD is a long-term proposition, so we need to be able to rapidly and efficiently create numerous and diverse therapeutic scenarios. These might range from dealing with potential road-rage while driving to the grocery store, to correctly choosing all the items on the shopping list to coping with maddening situations at the check-out line. With this technology, we’re able to quickly create a depth of motion and character interaction previously unattainable in real-time in a VWE."
Beyond the use in the VETS program, DW and OTRI have already planned a number of collaborative research initiatives. DW recently installed Organic Motion's BioSTAGE system for biomechanical analysis and modeling. Soon, digital artists and performers will be collaborating alongside researchers from the Colleges of Medicine, Engineering, and neurologists from the UF Movement Disorders Center, with BioSTAGE as a common platform to work with paraplegics, amputees and patients with motor-related conditions.
Key Benefits:
·Multi-purpose uses
·Easy to toggle between STAGE and BioSTAGE
·Functionality and high-fidelity of data
·No bodysuits or full-time technician required
Rochester Institute of Technology, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, School of Design
The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has installed Organic Motion’s STAGE system on a stage to enhance their virtual theatre research, a collaborative project between Computer Graphics Design and Computer Science. Here a live stream of motion capture data controls an acting avatar in a live theatrical performance on a virtual stage. Custom applications developed for this project, allow cast members, the stage manager, crew, and the audience to interact during a performance. Acquisition of the system for the virtual theatre research was supported by multiple grants and the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.
Since they also plan to use the system to support courses in a number of programs, "We needed a system that was not only priced right but made it easy to use when you have a number of different students that need to be in a system," says Marla Schweppe, Chair of 3D Digital Graphics, in RIT’s College of Imaging Arts, Sciences School of Design. "Removing the complications of a bodysuit is a huge plus, because we don’t have to worry about different body sizes, calibration times, extra technicians or even the cost and labor of cleaning the suits after each user."
Beyond the virtual theatre program, a number of departments and programs plan to use Organic Motion's technology. Currently slated are many cross-departmental initiatives in 3D digital graphics, computer science, new media, games, animation, medical illustration and dance.
Key Benefits:
·Low Cost
·Eliminates the preparation and maintenance of bodysuits
·Ability to capture any body shape or size with high degree of accuracy
·SDK to create custom applications, frameworks and runtime environments
Tolles Career & Technical Center
At Tolles Career & Technical Center, a high school in central Ohio, students in the computer sciences department are learning how to create animations for both games and short films using Organic Motion's STAGE. When the department was due to undergo several technology upgrades, teachers sought a way to incorporate a motion capture system that not only provided high-fidelity in capture accuracy, but was also easy to use. Thus, finding a system that removed the body suits, and increased the interaction with the students in the classroom was a key benefit to selecting Organic Motion's STAGE.
"Our goal is to provide students with the most advanced learning environment possible by industry experts with leading technology," said Carl Berg, superintendent of Tolles Career & Technical Center. "This technology lets students analyze exercise movements and stress injuries in its most organic state - free from body suits."
Tolles is also planning on integrating the BioSTAGE upgrade, to teach students how to view the motions of athletes and prevent repetitive stress injuries. Key Benefits:
·Eliminates the bodysuits
·Keeps students engaged in a 100% interactive learning environment
·Easy to integrate BioSTAGE
Marshall University
Members of the Center for Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences (CEGAS) at Marshall University are using Organic Motion's STAGE system along with advanced visualization equipment to simulate the environment of an underground coal mine. Partnering with the US Mine Safety and Health Administration Academy, Marshall's CEGAS is designing new simulators to train teams of miners and first responders in mine safety by utilizing virtual reality situations - either in Second Life® or custom immersive environments.
Organic Motion's STAGE is a key component to the new program, as it keeps participants engaged in a more interactive experience. Since the technology does not require bodysuits, gloves or tracking balls, participants can wear authentic mining gear adding realism to the training process. Training teams will be able to walk into a system and experience many of the conditions and activities of an actual miner or rescuer, while remaining safely above ground in a virtual environment.
"Organic Motion has taken a huge leap forward by eliminating the technological barriers that are associated with such advanced equipment," said Dr. Jack Smith, research associate of Marshall University. "Now, practically anyone can walk into the system and experience a virtual mine, regardless of preparation or technology background. This is critical when working with participants where even a keyboard and mouse could be a barrier. We anticipate many other applications across the university and business community and view the whole system as a promising tool for fostering economic development in areas where barriers to such technology are traditionally high."
Key Benefits:
·Simplifies and improves the creation of virtual training environments ·Allows for more realistic simulations ·Bridges varying technological backgrounds ·Affordable integration and operation
Indiana University
Indiana University selected Organic Motion's STAGE system, to provide students and faculty with the technology that will drive cutting-edge curricula and new research on its Bloomington campus Renowned as one of the world’s "Most Wired Campuses," Indiana University seeks advanced technology providers that can benefit the most students in an interdisciplinary setting. In selecting a computer vision or motion capture solution, Indiana University needed technology that was robust enough to generate high-quality data, and that would be an easy to use solution with minimal operating requirements.
"It’s a huge jump forward to walk into a system without any tracking balls or specialized equipment. That alone makes it easy for us to integrate it into a number of programs," says Dr. Robert L. Appelman, Clinical Associate Professor of Instructional Systems Technology, in the Indiana University School of Education. "Organic Motion's technology allows any student to step into the system and instantly take full advantage of the technology - regardless of body shape, size or the person’s experience with mocap."
IU Associate Dean for Learning Technologies Stacy Morrone said, "This initiative is very appealing because it will make IU one of only a handful of universities across the nation that provide students such an opportunity and is consistent with the University’s new strategic plan for information technology, Empowering People ." The Learning Technologies Division of University Information Technology Services has partnered with Appelman to make the STAGE system available to other departments and programs on campus.
The university has a number of cross-departmental applications earmarked for STAGE. The School of Informatics and the Department of Telecommunications will be utilizing the system to teach game development techniques as well as how to efficiently program advanced computer applications. The Departments of Theatre & Drama, Music and Fine Arts are also looking at ways to create virtual theatre experiences. The School of Health, Physical Education & Recreation will be using the technology as a teaching tool for dance and kinesiology students learning how to perform a range of movements while The School of Education students studying Instructional Design will use the system to create immersive training and simulation experiences, including serious game learning environments.
"Students and designers need content that looks realistic, not fantasy-based like you see in regular video games," adds Dr. Appelman. "We needed to recreate real-time simulations, movements and interactions. This technology provides authentic animations and experiences for both the designers and future corporate or military trainees."
Key Benefits:
·User-friendly interface ideal for multi-discipline use
·Markerless system allows more people to quickly utilize the system, regardless of body type
·Streamlined real-time capture process for fixed class times and research timelines
·Allowing designers to have access to talent who can port authentic action and expression into their virtual worlds
About Organic Motion, Inc. Organic Motion, Inc. is a leading innovator of computer vision and highly advanced markerless motion capture systems. The company's core technology dramatically increases a computer's ability to "see" and understand the motion of humans and other living organisms to generate highly accurate 3D tracking data in real-time, without using bodysuits or markers. Organic Motion leverages its patent-pending technology in three turnkey commercial solutions: STAGE, BioSTAGE™, and OpenSTAGE™. For additional information, please visit www.organicmotion.com.
###
Contact Info:
Chris Michaels
Fusion PR for Organic Motion
(310) 481-1431, Ext. 18
chris.michaels@fusionpr.com
Jonathan Rand, President
Organic Motion, Inc.
(212) 776-6100, Ext. 111
jonathan@organicmotion.com