Gearfuse

If you thought that you looked real when staring at yourself in a mirror, think again. Compared to the photo-realistic computer animation of Emily, you’re a closer to a plastic doll than real flesh and bone. Using new modeling technology that enables the most minute details of a facial expression to be captured, Image Metrics have created the first ever animation to overcome the longtime obstacle known as “uncanny valley”. This is the perception that animation looks less realistic as it attempts to approach realism.

“Ninety per cent of the work is convincing people that the eyes are real,” Mike Starkenburg, chief operating officer of Image Metrics, said.

A lot of precision and detail goes into calculating the most precise way that a human should look and I must say, Emily looks more real than those Beijing fireworks, or even the highly-detailed, corporeal robot. I can’t wait to see this kind of computer animation in movies and video games.  We’ve finally reached that point where we can’t differentiate between real life and computer graphics. This makes Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within look like Manos: The Hands of Fate.

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We like art. Whether it be fusing plastics together, or building an impressive LEGO display inspired by Terminator, art is art. Especially if it’s art inspired by robotics, like these City Foundry Bots. Graphic designer and illustrator Juan Carlos Federico creates some fascinating digital collages that resemble living creatures gone robotic. They’ve ditched their organic ways for a body of scrap metal, spare parts, and recycled junk.

The art line is called “Restatos” and shows some almost life-like art pieces that look as though you actually could build them from the parts and pieces shown in the art. In fact, you probably could! Check out the link to his website to see more of his work.

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