Introducing Siren, Your Exceptionally Realistic Virtual Companion
In a groundbreaking moment at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Epic Games introduced Siren, a digital human created by an international team of artists and engineers. The project, which showcases advancements in synthetic human development, utilises real-time motion capture and streaming into Unreal Engine to bring lifelike digital humans to virtual environments.
Actress Bingjie Jiang contributed her physical likeness to Siren, while actress Alexa Lee provided motion capture, wearing a full-body suit and head-mounted camera. Vicon's new Shogun 1.2 software was used to capture Siren's body and finger movements, which were then streamed into Unreal Engine using Vicon's Live Link plugin. As a result, Siren moved in sync with the captured data at 60 frames per second in the Unreal Engine.
The technology allows for real-time performance capture and rendering, creating digital characters that move and respond fluidly, providing a convincing presence in virtual spaces such as VR or live virtual production sets. When the video of Siren is paused, it appears quite real. However, the speaker acknowledged that Siren still falls into the uncanny valley, despite its impressive nature, with specific areas such as the arms being noticeable.
The uncanny valley is a persistent challenge in the development of lifelike CGI characters. To tackle this issue, the team aimed to challenge ideas of what a synthetic human could be. Using Unreal Engine's advanced rendering capabilities, including AI-assisted tools, improves visual fidelity and performance, supporting the rendering of complex characters and environments smoothly during live streaming or VR experiences.
This integrated workflow is foundational to creating believable digital humans that can be directed, animated, and streamed live, greatly expanding creative and practical possibilities in digital storytelling and virtual experiences. The development of Siren showcases the collaboration between multiple companies, including Epic Games, Tencent, Cubic Motion, 3Lateral, and Vicon.
As the future unfolds, these advancements in real-time motion capture and rendering are set to revolutionise the digital human landscape, offering endless opportunities for immersive and interactive experiences in various industries. The speaker, reflecting on the project, stated that the future is going to be wild.
The use of advanced artificial-intelligence tools within Unreal Engine significantly improves the visual fidelity and performance of digital characters, bringing them closer to lifelike realism and reducing their placement in the uncanny valley. The collaboration between Epic Games, Tencent, Cubic Motion, 3Lateral, and Vicon demonstrates the potential of artificial-intelligence in technology, revolutionizing the digital human landscape and fostering innovation across various industries.
