Perception Based Character Modeling and Animation

This thesis explores how humans identify sex (male or female) and judge gender (masculine or feminine) and attractiveness of a computer animated walker. Hip and shoulder movements during the walk cycle and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of the walking figure were systematically manipulated to construct the stimulus set. The analysis of the experiment data suggested that perceived sex is identified primarily by WHR. Perceived gender and attractiveness are judged by both WHR and walk motion independently and interactively. These results were used to develop guidelines to reproduce and control perceived sex and gender for computer animated models.