Active Physics Lab
Exploring how an animated character reacts to physical forces.
The project
An Unreal Engine research playground for animation-driven active ragdolls, impact reactions and balance sensing.
A playable playground demonstrates physical reactions alongside normal character movement. Corrective stepping remains experimental and is disabled by default.
What had to change
Blend an animated character with physical reactions while measuring balance and maintaining control over individual body regions.
How it was shaped
Unreal Chaos and Physics Control drive the character toward animated poses. Separate controls tune body-region strength and inspect centre of mass and ground support.
What it delivered
A playable playground demonstrates physical reactions alongside normal character movement. Corrective stepping remains experimental and is disabled by default.
Inside the project
Animation supplies a target pose while Physics Control drives the body. Impacts can temporarily weaken selected regions before their strength returns.
The research system measures centre of mass and foot support, then experiments with responses through the ankles, hips, torso and arms. Diagnostic views make the forces and support area visible.
An assisted mode combines dependable third-person movement with physical reactions. The arena includes props, impact controls and a separate experimental balance mode.
Corrective stepping remains unreliable in the medium-push scenario and is disabled by default. The project explores character-physics research.