Control of a virtual actor: the roach

We have developed a virtual environment system which supports multiple simulations, including virtual actors. These actors exhibit motor behavior in response to activity in the environment. We present an example actor, whose low-level behavior is modeled after physiological analyses of cockroach motor behavior. The sensori-motor activity of our roach is generated by a hierarchical control structure. Coupled oscillators generate basic gait patterns, which are modified by reflexes feeding in from the environment. Stepping and stance are executed by kinematic motor programs, which move the legs and body. The reactive level associates motor behavior with events in the virtual environment, to simulate perception and implement higher level behaviors. The activity of the virtual actor is determined only when it is situated in the environment, and interacts with the user and other simulations.

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