Method, apparatus and computer program for capturing motion of a cartoon and retargetting the motion to another object

An information processing apparatus for capturing motion of a first moving object in a cartoon and retargeting the motion of the first moving object to a second moving object, said information processing apparatus comprising:

• a video input unit for inputting a digitized video of a cartoon having the first moving object;
• an input unit for permitting a user to select from the digitized video a plurality of key shapes of the first moving object as the first moving moves in the digitized video;
• wherein the selected key shapes each represents an extreme shape of the first moving object for which said user wishes to impart to the second moving object;
• and
• a processing unit for capturing motion of the first moving object as motion parameter data by performing a transform of the motion of the first moving object according to each of the key shapes;
• wherein said motion parameter data includes timing parameter data representative of the timing of movements of the first moving object and
• retargeting the motion of the first moving object to the second moving object by permitting said user to define for the selected key shapes of the first moving object corresponding key shapes of the second moving object to which the extreme shapes of the first moving object are to be imparted and mapping the motion parameter data including said timing parameter data onto the second moving object, thereby imparting a characteristic of the motion of the first moving object to the motion of the second moving object based on said motion parameter data.

A computer program capturing motion of a first moving object in a cartoon and retargeting the motion of the first moving object to a second moving object, said computer program when executed causes an information processing apparatus to perform the steps of:

• inputting a digitized video of a cartoon having the first moving object;
• permitting a user to select from the digitized video a plurality of key shapes of the first moving object as the first moving object moves in the digitized video;
• wherein the selected key shapes each represents an extreme shape of the first moving object for which said user wishes to impart to the second moving object;
• capturing motion of the first moving object as motion parameter data by performing a transform of the motion of the first moving object according to each of the key shapes;
• wherein said motion parameter data includes timing parameter data representative of the timing of movements of the first moving object;
• and
• retargeting the motion of the first moving object to the second moving object by permitting said user to define for the selected key shapes of the first moving object corresponding key shapes of the second moving object to which the extreme shapes of the first moving object are to be imparted and mapping the motion parameter data including said timing parameter data onto the second moving object, thereby imparting a characteristic of the motion of the first moving object to the motion of the second moving object based on said motion parameter data.