Realistic visual simulation of water effects in response to human motion using a depth camera

In this study, we propose a new method for simulating water responding to human motion. Motion data obtained from motion-capture devices are represented as a jointed skeleton, which interacts with the velocity field in the water simulation. To integrate the motion data into the water simulation space, it is necessary to establish a mapping relationship between two fields with different properties. However, there can be severe numerical instability if the mapping breaks down, with the realism of the human–water interaction being adversely affected. To address this problem, our method extends the joint velocity mapped to each grid point to neighboring nodes. We refine these extended velocities to enable increased robustness in the water solver. Our experimental results demonstrate that water animation can be made to respond to human motions such as walking and jumping.