A haptically-augmented interface for digital character animation

The majority of the commercially available software are accessed through the Windows/Icon/Mouse/Pointer (WIMP) interfaces. Arguably, these interfaces fail to communicate the richness and complexity of human gesture [Scali et al. 2003]. Consequently, embodied skills such as those of creative makers cannot be easily accommodated in digital workspaces. In [Dima et al. 2010] we illustrated this issue in the traditional technique of puppet Stop-motion Animation and, as a first step, explored how puppet stop-motion animators perceive a virtual workspace mounted with the haptic modality and enabling gestural action. The investigation was driven by the development of a new interface system for animating digital 3-D articulated characters designed in collaboration with puppet Stop-motion animators. Hereby, we present further insights on the perception of the virtual workspace derived from the design study on bi-manual interaction. The system itself contributes a new interaction mechanism in the field of Human-Computer Interaction.