Abstract: Methods and systems employing augmented reality techniques via real-world objects for various purposes. Computer implemented methods are provided for animated augmentation of real-time video of static real-world objects. A computing device receives first data defining features and movements of a human subject, captures a video image of an object having features corresponding to human features, maps features defined by first data to corresponding features of the object, and uses the first data to animate the corresponding features of the object to correspond with the movements of the human subject defined by the first data. The object may be a physical 3D object. Embodiments may include positioning and orienting a 3D mesh representation of the object in registration with the object video image, prior to mapping the features defined by the first data to corresponding features on the 3D mesh. Recorded audio messages may be played in synchronism with the object.

Abstract: Embodiments capture one or more images of a visual scene that includes a first physical object. A first region of the first physical object to apply one or more augmentations to is determined. Embodiments determine which configuration the first physical object is currently in. The first physical object is configured to be physically manipulatable into each of a plurality of configurations. A sequence of frames is rendered for display in which the first region of the first physical object is animated in a predefined manner depicting a virtual light source within the first physical object, based on the determined configuration of the first physical object, by applying the one or more augmentations to a first virtual object generated based on predefined geometric information corresponding to a determined object type of the first physical object. The rendered sequence of frames is output for display using one or more display devices.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reducing distortions introduced by deformation of a surface with an existing parameterization. In an exemplary embodiment, the method comprises receiving a rest pose mesh comprising a plurality of faces, a rigidity map corresponding to the rest pose mesh, and a deformed pose mesh; using the rigidity map to generate a simulation grid on the rest pose mesh, the simulation grid comprising a plurality of cells; defining a set of constraints on the simulation grid, the constraints being derived at least in part from the rigidity map; running a simulation using the simulation grid and the set of constraints to obtain a warped grid; and texture mapping the deformed pose mesh based on data from the warped grid.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reducing distortions introduced by deformation of a surface with an existing parameterization. In one embodiment, the distortions are reduced over a user-specified convex region in texture space ensuring optimization is locally contained in areas of interest. A distortion minimization algorithm is presented that is guided by a user-supplied rigidity map of the specified region. In one embodiment, non-linear optimization is used to calculate the axis-aligned deformation of a non-uniform grid specified over the region's parameter space, so that when the space is remapped from the original to the deformed grid, the distortion of the rigid features is minimized. Since grids require minimal storage and the remapping from one grid to another entails minimal cost, grids can be precalculated for animation sequences and used for real-time texture space remapping that minimizes distortions on specified rigid features.