MIT scientists have developed a new imaging technique that could help make virtual characters such as Pokemon appear to convincingly interact with real objects.
The technique called Interactive Dynamic Video can take pictures of real objects and quickly create video simulations that people, or 3D models, can virtually interact with, researchers said.
These advances could also help simulate how real bridges and buildings might respond to potentially disastrous situations, they said.
The smartphone game Pokemon Go superimposes images onto the real world to create a mixed reality.
However, while 3D models that can move amid real surroundings on video screens are now commonplace, it remains a challenge getting computer-generated images to look as if they are interacting with real objects.
Building 3D models of real items is expensive, and can be nearly impossible for many objects, researchers said.
According to the researcher, the Interactive Dynamic Video could bridge that gap, 'Live Science' reported.
"When I came up with and tested the technique, I was surprised that it worked quite so well," said study lead author Abe Davis, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Using cameras, this new technique analyses tiny, almost imperceptible vibrations of an object. For instance, when it comes to curtains, "it turns out they are almost always moving, just from natural air currents in an indoor room," Davis said.
