Engineered Arts is now making it easier for the entertainment industry to create lifelike humanoid characters thanks to its new advanced design tool called Mesmer. The technology involves a system that combines robotics and animation software. According to the company, its goal was to create an all-in-one system with everything needed to create a character. This approach avoids using a “hodgepodge of bits” from various developers that aren’t entirely compatible. Mesmer will include the following: hardware (motors, electronics and connectors); sensors (cameras, depth sensors, LiDAR and microphones); firmware (motor control for speed, position and torque); and software (for control of animation, interaction, audio and lighting).
The company has expressed that its main focus during the development of the system was to make it intuitive. This means that you won’t need to be a professional programmer or work in IT just to use Mesmer. In fact, the company wanted the software to be at the control of artists and creatives. The goal was to make the system as least complicatedly technical as possible. The overall system is designed to be “human-friendly,” meaning that an artist can easily drag and drop movements onto a 3D computer model of the robot and instantly play it back afterward. After working on a design, users can immediately transfer it to the robot remotely via the Internet.
The hardware tools aren’t invasive and are designed to be easily accessible without risking damage to the layer of artificial skin. The acceleration and torque of the motors can also be individually controlled. An additional bonus is that the motors operate silently as they move.
Also included is a custom 3D scanning photogrammetry rig. This allows users to create accurate models of characters by capturing subjects’ expressions, in a way that is similar to working with life molds. Dimensions can then be engineered more efficiently with less trial and error.
Mesmer is built on Engineered Arts’ TinMan telepresence software, which allows every motor and every sensor to be connected to any Internet-capable device. Characters can then be controlled, monitored, reprogrammed and maintained remotely from wherever a user is located. Problems can also be quickly addressed and resolved. Everything is protected with end-to-end encryption.
On top of that, TinMan also allows users to integrate humanlike qualities in the robot, such as the ability to make jokes, or ask questions and answer them through preprogrammed content.
There’s also the possibility that there will be more consistent improvements over time with software updates. The company has already promised that there will be more advanced controls in the future. Engineered Arts also intends for the technology to be developer friendly, meaning that users can create their own unique functions using the Python programming language.
Engineered Arts has shared that there’s no one price unit for Mesmer, as the cost will depend on the particular specifications demanded by the user. However, the company has stated that of the cost will be in keeping with pricing from competing animatronics products.
The technology used in Mesmer is adapted from the company’s work on the movie Kong: Skull Island. Engineered Arts also worked with Madame Tussaud’s Shanghai back in 2018 to create figures of Jing Boran and Wuba using silicone skin. The collaboration resulted in moving figures, as opposed to the usual waxworks found in the wax museum.
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