Breathing life into statues using Augmented Reality

Eleftherios Ioannou and Steve Maddock
Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Abstract

AR art is a relatively recent phenomenon, one that brings innovation in the way that artworks can be produced and presented in real-world locations and environments. We present an AR art app, running in real time on a smartphone, that can be used to bring to life inanimate objects such as statues. The work relies on a virtual copy of the real object, which is produced using photogrammetry, as well as a skeleton rig for subsequent animation. As part of the work, we present a new diminishing reality technique, based on the use of particle systems, to make the real object `disappear' and be replaced by the animating virtual copy, effectively animating the inanimate. The approach is demonstrated on two objects: a juice carton and a small giraffe sculpture.

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