Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AniAge (High Dimensional Heterogeneous Data based Animation Techniques for Southeast Asian Intangible Cultural Heritage Digital Content)

Teaser

The overall aim of this project is two-fold. The first is to develop novel computer animation/visualisation algorithms and tools to preserve and exploit the performing arts related to intangible cultural heritage in Southeast Asia. The second is to promote knowledge exchange...

Summary

The overall aim of this project is two-fold. The first is to develop novel computer animation/visualisation algorithms and tools to preserve and exploit the performing arts related to intangible cultural heritage in Southeast Asia. The second is to promote knowledge exchange between EU and Southwest Asian partners, with a view to fostering the researchers involved.
To this end, we have been working on the planned Work Packages 1 and 2 since Jan 2016, which are separately led by the beneficiary BU (WP1) and the beneficiary CRIL (WP2). The WP objectives are “to digitalize performance arts related ICHs” and “to investigate and research on new technology for digital asset management and reproduction”. The research activities include a series of research projects and trainings through the scheduled secondments.

The main achievements include,
1) Finished the scheduled secondments;
2) Published 47 papers on Journals and conferences;
3) Created 3 project websites;
4) Built up a motion database for folk dance;
5) Organized 4 international conferences and workshops;

The rising issues are,
(1) The beneficiaries (BU and CRIL) could not send out enough staff/research students to take the scheduled secondment to Southeast Asian partners’ institutions, whilst the Southeast Asian partners took actively part in the secondments to the beneficiaries’ institutions. The main reason is that all the participants would like to learn new techniques/knowledge from the partners’ groups and further develop potential collaboration. Many members of the beneficiaries thought developing networks with the leading groups in the world through secondments would directly benefit their career development.
(2) Coordinator (BU) overspent 29.5 secondment months out of the secondment plan and the rate of completed secondments is up to 74%; while Beneficiary (CRIL) delayed 26 secondment months;
(3) In terms of the current project progress, we think the urgent requirement is to develop a motion database for folk and puppetry dance. For research and animation production purpose, these motion data must be annotated, which is time consuming very much. Unfortunately, there is no such annotated data available on internet at the moment. BU had to overspend secondment months to create motion data for the following work packages. CRIL had to delay secondments due to lack of motion data.

To deal with the abovementioned issues, we take actions as below,
(1) We added four leading research groups in the world as new partners in the project, which voluntarily joined this project and hosted secondments in their institutions. This effectively attracts many staff/research students of the beneficiaries’ institutions to participate in secondments. These secondees can learn the cutting edge techniques from the leading research groups and transfer knowledge to the secondees in the home institutions during their secondments. These activities are forming a fantastic paradigm of knowledge dissemination.
(2) We set up a series of subprojects in secondments to speed up motion data development. Moreover, to complement secondments, we recruited 2 small computer companies to carry out motion data annotation job using the part of the project fund for research activities. We will construct such annotated motion database for dance in an OPEN ACCESS way, so as to promote this project to the world.

In terms of all the partners’ endeavour, the objectives of these two WPs are approaching. When it is accomplished, we will deliver an open annotated motion database system for dance, which will promote research, preservation and commercial development for folk dance.

Work performed

We work on the WP 1 and 2, and the main finished work as below,
(1) Built up project websites, http://www.euh2020aniage.org/, http://www.cril.univ-artois.fr/aniage/, https://hmiuet.wordpress.com/aniage/
(2) Organized 4 international conferences/workshops,

The 30th International Conference on Industrial, Engineering, Other Applications of Applied Intelligent Systems - IEA/AIE Workshop on CAnimAI: Computer Animation and Artificial Intelligence, June 26-30, 2017, at Arras, France
ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA Workshop: Data-Driven Animation Techniques (D2AT), November 27th to 30th, 2017 – at BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand
International Conference on Digital Arts, Media and Technology - ICDAMT 2017 on 1 – 4 March 2017, Chiang Mai, Thailand
“Workshop on Southeast Asian Intangible Cultural Heritage” On August 1st – 2nd, 2016 at College of Arts, Media and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Thailand

(3) Submitted the mid-term report,
(4) Created motion database for folk dance online.
(5) 47 publications on Journals and international conferences.

Final results

We hope to highlight one work, that is, to create an open annotated motion database for folk dance. Currently, we are both collecting more folk dance data from video, MoCap data etc., and developing toolkit for pre-processing raw data, annotating data, and converting data formats. In WP 3, we will develop database system based on query/answering mechanism so that it can be suitable for a wide variety of applications.

This open motion database system will be applied to ICH digital preservation, reproduction, and animation production for research and commercial development purposes. It will not only benefit ICH preservation and exploitation, but also promote ICH commercial development, such as animation and game production in creative industry.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.euh2020aniage.org.