Realism is a major goal in computer animation, but turning sketched-out ideas into decent computer models is normally a tricky and time-consuming process.
This is where an idea dreamed up by Microsoft could come in handy. Researchers at the company’s labs in China and Washington, US, have come up with a way to turn hand-drawn sketches into fully formed computer models.
A user simply draws a picture in two dimensions, but using perspective to create the impression of three dimensions. Microsoft’s software recognises the perspective in the drawing automatically and converts the image into a 3D model.
When the 3D object in question is a building, the software can even determine which parts of the model are walls, windows, doors etc. It then renders the model automatically and presents it to the user on screen for further editing.
Crash into a large vehicle like a lorry, and the potential damage and injuries are greatly increased if your car rides under the larger vehicle.
US car giant Ford says this could be prevented by fitting a pair of movable pillars to the underbody of car, between the front wheels. During normal driving, the pillars are hidden away beneath the car. But when a crash occurs, the pillars are forced down into contact with the road. This supports the front of the car, preventing it from being pushed beneath a larger vehicle.
The pillars could have other benefits too. They should channel energy from the crash into the ground and away from the vehicle, helping to protect the occupants in other types of crashes. You needn’t even buy a new car to get one. Ford says the pillars could easily be retro-fitted to older models.
Read the full crash pillar patent application.
Singing golf swings
When it comes to golf, it’s not enough to make the perfect swing every now and again, you need to be able to reproduce it on every hole.
So Robert Grober, a professor of physics at Yale University, has come up with a novel way to help golfers get it right every time. He has created a golf club equipped with sensors that measure changes in the movement and acceleration of the club as it swings.
A computer connected to the club converts this swing data into a sound signal that lets the golfer know how they are doing. Different aspects of the sound correspond to different qualities of the swing. Focusing on timing and tempo in particular should help golfers hone their drive, the patent application says.
Reproducing your own best swing is then just a matter of trying to match the sound it makes on Grober’s device. But perhaps you could also listen to the sounds made by famous golfers. I wonder what Tiger Woods’ swing would sound like…