Simulated characters in simulated worlds require simulated skills. We develop control
strategies that enable physically-simulated characters to dynamically navigate environments …

Modeling the large space of possible human motions requires scalable techniques.
Generalizing from example motions or example controllers is one way to provide the …

We present a method for precomputing robust task-based control policies for physically
simulated characters. This allows for characters that can demonstrate skill and purpose in …

Over the past few years, we have developed several research projects focusing on critical
support technologies for virtual environments. In this paper, we outline three aspects of our …

Dynamically simulated characters are difficult to control because they are underactuated---
they have no direct control over their global position and orientation. In order to succeed …

Humans are highly adept at walking in environments with foot placement constraints,
including stepping‐stone scenarios where footstep locations are fully constrained. Finding …

The locomotion skills developed for physics-based characters most often target flat terrain.
However, much of their potential lies with the creation of dynamic, momentum-based …

The generation of realistic motions for articulated characters using physical simulation has
been the focus of many research efforts. Numerous systems focus on creating real-time …

We present a trajectory optimization approach to animating human activities that are driven
by the lower body. Our approach is based on contact-invariant optimization. We develop a …

Learning locomotion skills is a challenging problem. To generate realistic and smooth
locomotion, existing methods use motion capture, finite state machines or morphology …