MimeTIC, a new research team in Rennes, bringing the human and virtual closer together

MimeTIC, a new research team in Rennes, bringing the human and virtual closer together

Analysis of a crowd in congested conditions establishes the rules of behaviour and generates walk trajectories for the simulation of realistic virtual humans.(© M2S)

The new research team known as MimeTIC, part of Inria Rennes-Bretagne Atlantique and the universities of Rennes 1 and Rennes 2, with links to the Irisa and M2S (Mouvement Sport Santé) laboratories, is trying to obtain greater understanding of human biomechanics to improve the simulation of virtual humanoids.

The new team was set up in the wake of the Bunraku project team (Inria, ENS Cachan-Bretagne, Insa-Rennes and University of Rennes 1) which gave rise, in particular, to the Golaem start-up. MimeTIC’s director is Franck Multon, Professor at the University of Rennes 2 and member of the M2S laboratory that studies the mechanisms and effects of physical activity using tools and methods drawn from physiology and biomechanics.

Located on the campuses of Beaulieu and Villejean, MimeTIC will, in June 2012, have a 40m x 20m testbed within ENS Cachan-Bretagne on the Rennes Atalante Ker Lann site. It will be used solely to analyse movement and human activity. An area of 30m x 20m will be taken up by a gym with force platforms concealed in the floor, cameras mounted on the walls etc. This would, for example, allow measurements to be taken from a team engaged in a team sport. The remainder of the area will consist of a vast virtual reality room (12m wide, 4m tall and 6m deep), large enough for high-quality interaction projects.

This work is of as much interest to the serious game sector as it is to the world of architecture, sport and surgery.