EA Could Create In-Game Character Animations Using AI To Replace Motion Capture

EA has produced legal documents in the past for automating a variety of things that concern game development to help devs with tedious tasks. A recent patent by the giant conglomerate suggests that it may also automate in-game animations using AI to replace motion capture, at least in cases where it is not suitable.

The patent dubbed “DYNAMIC LOCOMOTION ADAPTATION IN RUNTIME GENERATED ENVIRONMENTS“ talks about utilizing AI models to predict the frames of animations for in-game characters during gameplay in environments where it is nearly impossible for motion capture to work. It argues that the current system requires a lot of motion capture data that takes up a lot of space, and it is not viable in all cases to be used for animation.

It may be difficult to predict all the possible interactions that may occur in the video game making it difficult to predetermine all the motion capture data that is required during design and development of the video game,” argues EA.

This dynamic animation generation system can use motion capture data to train and predict the subsequent frames to produce in-game character animations using AI. It is quite beneficial to use deep learning technology because motion capture data is not reliable in certain game environments and for specific in-game characters. For instance, a cartoony character not resembling a human cannot effectively use motion data to be animated.

The in-game environments include places that are not easily compatible with motion capture in games. EA has noted some instances like, “underwater environments, non-Earth based gravity environments, non-Earth based atmosphere environments, non-human life supporting temperature environments, etc.”

The system may use the automated analyses of the motion capture information to extend the generation of realistic motion to new environments that are difficult if not impossible […] to capture using motion capture technology.”

It is also worth noting that motion capture studios can only create a limited set of animations for a game character. For instance, the patent gives the example of the motion capture recorder having to run and slip on ice to generate realistic animations for the character, which is harmful to the person and cost extensive. It would also not be possible for a character to do actions of the same quality that are not recorded by motion capture.

These extra motions that were not recorded could be created using manual methods by the game designer, but the new patent by EA seeks to solve that dilemma by using AI to produce character animations automatically during the gameplay.

Advantageously, the environment properties provided as input to the prediction model may differ from the environment properties included in the training data. Thus, animation can be generated that accounts for new environments for which motion capture data is not available.”

EA argues that using AI will also make transitioning between various in-game biomes or their blends faster for in-game characters. The animations could be created by AI on the spot to account for many variables together. For instance, the hot or cold, elevation or gravity levels, and much more could impact how the animations are created in certain settings using AI instead of manually accounting for all instances using motion capture.

Electronic Arts’ new patent could help game devs to utilize AI alongside motion capture to create animations more easily, as it would also reduce the tediousness and the storage space required to record all animations manually. Moreover, it may help EA to feature more dynamic animations in its games, which is not possible by current methods.

EA has published some eccentric patents in the past, including a videographer role that would let users record the gameplay in the middle of online matches, a system to populate in-game maps with structures using the wonders of AI, and many more.  

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