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Abstract
This course covers fundamentals of physics-based modelling and numerical optimization from the perspective of character animation and robotics applications. The methods discussed in class derive their theoretical underpinnings from applied mathematics, control theory and computational mechanics, and they will be richly illustrated with examples.
Objective
Students will learn how to represent, model and algorithmically control the behavior of animated characters and real-life robots. The lectures are accompanied by programming assignments (written in C++) and a capstone project.
Content
Optimal control and trajectory optimization; multibody systems; kinematics; forward and inverse dynamics; constrained and unconstrained numerical optimization; mass-spring models for crowd simulation; FEM; compliant systems; sim-to-real; robotic manipulation of elastically-deforming objects.