WonderSpace: Interactive 3D Animation Browser

WonderSpace is a browser for visualizing a virtual world in cyberspace, where lifelike creatures act according to VRML 2.0 and a specification for skeleton animation. Through human-like avatars, WonderSpace realizes voice or sound communication in multi-user cyberspace. Technical features include compression/decompression of shape data and motion data, modified motions generated from a base motion, motion connecting, and synchronizing motion with sound.

At SIGGRAPH 97, WonderSpace technology provided three interactive experiences:

1. DayDream is the virtual-life world for voice chats via human-like avatars.

2. Wonder KARAOKE is a virtual KARAOKE world with dancing avatars.

3. Wonder ShrineOmikuji is a virtual Japanese shrine with interactive avatars that seek to attain "Omikuji," a Japanese technique for predicting the future.

Toshiya Naka and Yoshiyuki Mochizuki
Multimedia Development Center
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi
Osaka 571, JAPAN
naka@isl.mei.co.jp

Collaborators
Shigeo Asahara (Team Director) and Michiharu Katsuda (Programmer)