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Inverse kinematics

 

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Inverse kinematics



 
 
Inverse kinematics is the process of determining the parameters of a jointed
Kinematic pair

A kinematic pair is the general name for two rigid body that can move with respect to each other via a mechanics constraint between the two bodies....
 flexible object (a kinematic chain
Kinematic chain

A kinematic chain is the assembly of several kinematic pairs connecting rigid body segments. The complexity of the chain is determined by the following factors:...
) in order to achieve a desired pose. Inverse kinematics is a type of motion planning
Motion planning

Motion planning is a term used in robotics for the process of detailing a task into atomic motions.For example, consider navigating a mobile robot inside a building to a distant waypoint....
. Inverse kinematics are also relevant to game programming
Game programmer

A game programmer is a programmer who primarily develops video games or related software . Game programming has many specialized disciplines; practitioners of any may regard themselves as "game programmers"....
 and 3D animation, where a common use is making sure game characters connect physically to the world, such as feet landing firmly on top of terrain.

An articulated figure consists of a set of rigid segments connected with joints.






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Inverse kinematics is the process of determining the parameters of a jointed
Kinematic pair

A kinematic pair is the general name for two rigid body that can move with respect to each other via a mechanics constraint between the two bodies....
 flexible object (a kinematic chain
Kinematic chain

A kinematic chain is the assembly of several kinematic pairs connecting rigid body segments. The complexity of the chain is determined by the following factors:...
) in order to achieve a desired pose. Inverse kinematics is a type of motion planning
Motion planning

Motion planning is a term used in robotics for the process of detailing a task into atomic motions.For example, consider navigating a mobile robot inside a building to a distant waypoint....
. Inverse kinematics are also relevant to game programming
Game programmer

A game programmer is a programmer who primarily develops video games or related software . Game programming has many specialized disciplines; practitioners of any may regard themselves as "game programmers"....
 and 3D animation, where a common use is making sure game characters connect physically to the world, such as feet landing firmly on top of terrain.

An articulated figure consists of a set of rigid segments connected with joints. Varying angles of the joints yields an indefinite number of configurations. The solution to the forward kinematic animation
Forward kinematic animation

Forward kinematic animation is a method in 3D computer graphics for animating models.The essential concept of forward kinematics animation is that the positions of particular parts of the model at a specified time are calculated from the position and orientation of the object, together with any information on the joints of an articulated mo...
 problem, given these angles, is the pose of the figure. The solution to the more difficult inverse kinematics problem is to find the joint angles given the desired configuration of the figure (i.e., end effector). In the general case there is no analytic solution for the inverse kinematics problem. However, inverse kinematics may be solved via nonlinear programming
Nonlinear programming

In mathematics, nonlinear programming is the process of solving a system of equation and inequalities, collectively termed constraints, over a set of unknown real variables, along with an objective function to be maximized or minimized, where some of the constraints or the objective function are nonlinear....
 techniques. Certain special kinematic chains—those with a spherical wrist—permit kinematic decoupling. This treats the end effector's orientation and position independently and permits an efficient closed-form solution.

Inverse kinematics is a tool utilized frequently by 3D artists. It is often easier for an artist to express the desired spatial appearance rather than manipulate joint angles directly. For example, inverse kinematics allows an artist to move the hand of a 3D human model to a desired position and orientation and have an algorithm select the proper angles of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints.

For example, when one wants to reach for a door handle, their brain
Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate, and most invertebrate, animals. Some primitive animals such as cnidarian and echinoderm have a decentralized nervous system without a brain, while sponges lack any nervous system at all....
 must make the necessary calculation
Calculation

A calculation is a deliberate process for transforming one or more inputs into one or more results, with variable change.The term is used in a variety of senses, from the very definite arithmetical calculation using an algorithm to the vague heuristics of calculating a strategy in a competition or calculating the chance of a successful rela...
s to position his limbs and torso such that the hand locates near the door. The main objective is to move the hand but the many complex articulations of several joints must occur to get the hand to the desired location. Similarly with many technological applications, inverse kinematic mathematical calculations must be performed to articulate limbs in the correct ways to meet desired goals. One example where inverse kinematic calculations are often essential is robotics
Robotics

Robotics is the science and technology of robots, and their design, manufacture, and application. Robotics has connections to electronics, mechanics, and software....
, where an operator wants to position a tool
Tool

A broad definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other....
 using a robot arm but certainly doesn't want to manipulate each robot joint individually. Other applications include computer animation
Computer animation

Computer animation is the art of creating moving images with the use of computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics and animation....
 where animators may want to operate a computer generated character, but find it impossibly difficult to animate individual joints. The solution is to model the virtual joints of the puppet and allow the animator to move the hands, feet and torso, and the computer automatically generates the required limb positions to accomplish this using inverse kinematics.

Key to the successful implementation of inverse kinematics is animation
Animation

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. It is an optical illusion of Motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in a number of ways....
 within constraints: computer characters' limbs must behave within reasonable anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings, natural and supernatural phenomena, material states and objects or abstract concepts....
 limits. Similarly, robotic devices have physical constraints such as the environment they operate in, the limitations of the articulations their joints are capable of, and the finite physical loads and speeds at which they are able to operate.

Other applications of inverse kinematic algorithms include interactive manipulation, animation control and collision avoidance
Collision detection

In physical simulations, video games and computational geometry, collision detection involves algorithms for checking for collision, i.e. intersection, of two given solids....
.

See also


External links

with an explanation of inverse kinematics