动画是一种引人注目且有效的表达方式，它能够吸引看的人且能使复杂难懂的概念变得简单易懂。现今动画工业制造出令人目眩的视觉细节及品质的电影、特效、及游戏。这堂研究所的课程将会检视制造出这些动画的算法，不论是使用主框架；反向运动；实体模拟；最优化；最佳控制；动作撷取；及资料导向方法等。我们的研究也会 展示这些复杂工具有哪些缺点。学生必须能够在学期末缴交一份研究专题，这份专题需提出改进且发展计算机动画的新方法。这门课程能够引发学生对计算机绘图及机器学习理论、机器人学、生物力学、物理学、应用数学、科学计算等新应用的广泛兴趣。

Animation is a compelling and effective form of expression; it engages viewers and makes difficult concepts easier to grasp. Today's animation industry creates films, special effects, and games with stunning visual detail and quality. This graduate class will investigate the algorithms that make these animations possible: keyframing, inverse kinematics, physical simulation, optimization, optimal control, motion capture, and data-driven methods. Our study will also reveal the shortcomings of these sophisticated tools. The students will propose improvements and explore new methods for computer animation in semester-long research projects. The course should appeal to both students with general interest in computer graphics and students interested in new applications of machine learning, robotics, biomechanics, physics, applied mathematics and scientific computing.