Augmenting physical appearance using illumination

Number: 10133171
Published: 2018-11-20
Filed: 2016-03-28
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.; ETH Zurich (Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zurich)
Inventors: Grundhofer; Anselm; Bermano; Amit; Bickel; Bernd; Bruschweiler; Philipp; Gross; Markus; Iwai; Daisuke
CPC: H04N9/3185; G03B21/32; G06T13/20; G06T19/006; G03B21/562; G03B21/00; H04N9/3194; G03B21/147; H04N9/3147; H04N5/7458; G06T13/80
Verdict: Medium Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Illumination-based physical appearance augmentation.

Abstract

A system for augmenting the appearance of an object including a plurality of projectors. Each projector includes a light source and a lens in optical communication with the light source, where the lens focuses light emitted by the light source on the object. The system also includes a computer in communication with the plurality of projectors, the computer including a memory component and a processing element in communication with the memory component and the plurality of projectors. The processing element determines a plurality of images to create an augmented appearance of the object and provides the plurality of images to the plurality of projectors to project light corresponding to the plurality of images onto the object to create the augmented appearance of the object. After the images are projected onto the object, the augmented appearance of the objected is substantially the same regardless of a viewing angle for the object.

Background

FIELD(1) The present invention relates generally to varying the appearance of a component, such as a physical structure or avatar, using illumination.BACKGROUND(2) Animated animatronic figures, such as avatars, are a unique way to give physical presence to a character. For example, many animatronic figures are movable and can be used as part of an interactive display for people at a theme park, where the figures may have articulable elements that move, and may be used in conjunction with audio to simulate the figure talking or making other sounds. However, typically the movement and/or expressions of the figures may be limited due to mechanical constraints. As an example, in animatronic figures representing human faces certain expressions, such as happiness, fear, sadness, etc. may be desired to be replicated by the figures. These facial expressions may be created by using actuators that pull an exterior surface corresponding to the skin of the figure in one or more directions. The precision, number, and control of actuators that are required to accurately represent details such as dimples, wrinkles, and so on, may be cost-prohibitive, require space within the head of the figures, and/or require extensive control systems.(3) It is with these shortcomings in mind that the present invention has been developed.SUMMARY(4) One embodiment of the present disclosure may take the form of a system for augmenting the appearance of an object including a plurality of projectors. Each proj

Claims

1. A system for augmenting the appearance of an object comprising: a plurality of projectors; and a computer in communication with the plurality of projectors, comprising: a memory component; a processing element in communication with the memory component and the plurality of projectors; wherein the processing element determines a plurality of images to create an augmented appearance of the object and provides the plurality of images to the plurality of projectors to project light corresponding to the plurality of images onto the object to create the augmented appearance of the object, wherein the plurality of images are optimized to take into account the augmented appearance of the object from multiple viewpoints and compensate for subsurface scattering of light within the object. 12. A system for modifying the appearance of an object to correspond to a target appearance having high frequency details and low frequency details, the system comprising: a moveable object; a first projector in optical communication with the moveable object and configured to project a first image onto a first section of the object; a second projector in optical communication with the moveable object and configured to project a second image onto a second section of the object; wherein the first image and the second image are optimized based on subsurface scattering of light within the movable object; the movement of the object includes at least one of deformation or articulation; the low frequency details of the target appearance are replicated by movement of the object; the high frequency details of the target appearance are replicated by the first and second images projected onto the object; and the combination of the low frequency details and the high frequency details replicate the target appearance onto the object.