Fraunhofer HHI and UFA presented Germany’s first volumetric film test production at NAB in Las Vegas

The “3D Human Body Reconstruction (3DHBR)” technology of the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI is being used for the first time in cooperation with UFA GmbH in the course of a joint test production for the immersive film “GATEWAY TO INFINITY” as a volumetric virtual reality experience.

Viewers can immerse themselves in a science fiction world on a foreign planet. Viewers with virtual reality glasses can view the actors of the movie at very close range and from various perspectives. Thus the viewer is immersed directly in the scene, experiencing the story close up and personally. This level of immersion and virtual experience is entirely new.

An innovative reconstruction method makes it possible to generate dynamic 3D models of people that appear natural, going far beyond the conventional animation of virtual characters. In this test production, the 3D models were created based on real actors so that gestures, facial expressions and textures (skin, hair and fabric) could be recorded in detail. This made the lifelike reconstruction of facial expressions and moving clothing possible.

The Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute is planning to build a fully functional VR production studio for “3D Human Body Reconstruction (3DHBR)” starting in mid-2017. This test production with the UFA is an important milestone along the way for the Fraunhofer HHI.

Source: Fraunhofer HHI