Real-time Animation of Bird Flight Based on Aerodynamics

The expression of animals and natural phenomena as simulated by computer graphics can be expected to enhance the realism of landscape simulation, virtual reality, etc. In this paper, a model of bird flight model animated in real time is proposed by taking aerodynamics into consideration. In this model, a bird flies by the wingbeat motion and using its tail feathers. Furthermore, target points are set in the space and the bird’s orientation and flapping are adjusted such that the bird passes through these target points in sequence. This makes it possible to have the bird fly along an arbitrary path. Key word: bird, real-time visual simulation, animation, aerodynamics