Litcius/Paper detail

ALLSTEPS: Curriculum‐driven Learning of Stepping Stone Skills

Zhaoming Xie, Hung Yu Ling, Nam Hee Kim, Michiel van de Panne

2020Computer Graphics Forum99 citationsDOI

Abstract

Abstract Humans are highly adept at walking in environments with foot placement constraints, including stepping‐stone scenarios where footstep locations are fully constrained. Finding good solutions to stepping‐stone locomotion is a longstanding and fundamental challenge for animation and robotics. We present fully learned solutions to this difficult problem using reinforcement learning. We demonstrate the importance of a curriculum for efficient learning and evaluate four possible curriculum choices compared to a non‐curriculum baseline. Results are presented for a simulated humanoid, a realistic bipedal robot simulation and a monster character, in each case producing robust, plausible motions for challenging stepping stone sequences and terrains.

Topics & Concepts

Computer scienceAnimationRoboticsCurriculumArtificial intelligenceStepping stoneReinforcement learningCharacter animationHuman–computer interactionHumanoid robotRobotComputer animationComputer graphics (images)PsychologyPedagogyEconomicsEconomic growthUnemploymentHuman Motion and AnimationHuman Pose and Action RecognitionArtificial Intelligence in Games