VOA标准英语2015--New Studio Yields Most Detailed Motion Capture in 3D

New Studio Yields Most Detailed¹ Motion Capture in 3D

Sports coaches often use video cameras to analyze² athletes’ movements in order to improve their performance. A new multi-camera studio developed at Carnegie Mellon University promises to bring video analysis to an unprecedented³ level.

In 1878, using 12 still cameras positioned along a racetrack, English photographer Eadweard Muybridge solved a much debated question: whether a galloping⁴ horse had all of its legs in the air at one point.

137 years later, using more than 500 cameras, scientists at Carnegie Mellon University captured the motion of a baseball batter’s swing in unprecedented 3D detail.

In a two-story dome⁵ made of 20 hexagons, called the Panoptic Studio, 30 high-definition video cameras, plus 480 additional cameras, records the same motion from different angles.

Carnegie Mellon computer scientist Hanbyul Joo says a computer turns those images into detailed 3D analysis of the motion.

“The main purpose of this system is to analyze very interesting dynamic movements or dynamic things such as a sports players' motion," said Joo.

At any given moment, the system captures more than 100,000 points of motion, requiring 120 computer hard drives, as just one minute of such video takes up about 500 gigabytes of memory.

A sophisticated algorithm identifies only videos from cameras that see the points relevant to the target.

Once those videos are integrated and converted into a full 3D reconstruction⁶ of the movement, the algorithm creates a detailed pattern of the motion.

“Using our system, we can compare those movements, so we can see how to teach the right motion to people," said Joo.

Scientists say the Panoptic Studio can be useful for analyzing⁷ and correcting any kind of movements or behavior.

As for large sports arenas⁸ and other events, researchers say they may be able to develop an algorithm that uses the same technique by capturing videos from hundreds of spectators’ cameras.

1 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

2 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

3 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

4 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

5 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

6 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

7 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

8 arenas   

表演场地( arena的名词复数 )； 竞技场； 活动或斗争的场所或场面； 圆形运动场

参考例句：

• Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
• Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗？