Location History:
- Union City, CA (US) (2014)
- Fremont, CA (US) (2016)
Company Filing History:
Years Active: 2014-2016
Title: Hayley Iben: Innovator in Artistic Hair Simulation
Introduction
Hayley Iben is a talented inventor based in Fremont, CA (US). She has made significant contributions to the field of computer graphics, particularly in the simulation of curly hair for feature films. With a total of 2 patents, her work addresses both artistic and performance needs in animation.
Latest Patents
One of Hayley's latest patents is titled "Artistic simulation of curly hair." This invention discloses techniques for stably simulating stylized curly hair, which is essential for meeting the artistic requirements of maintaining a curl's helical shape during motion. The hair model she developed is based on an extensible elastic rod, allowing for stable computation along a hair curve. This innovative approach introduces a new type of spring that controls the bending and twisting of curls while maintaining their helical shape during extension. The techniques also efficiently handle hair-hair contact interactions by parallelizing the simulation process. This method has proven robust and stable across various animated motions and hair styles, from straight to wavy to curly.
Another notable patent is "Inverse kinematic melting for posing models." In this invention, a model is associated with a deep pose. When transitioning from an attractor pose to a current pose, the two are compared with the deep pose. If any part of the current pose is more similar to the deep pose than the attractor pose, the attractor pose is updated accordingly. This method evaluates pose attributes and constraints to determine the model's pose through an optimization process, ensuring that the model adheres to the desired pose constraints.
Career Highlights
Hayley works at Pixar, a leading animation studio known for its innovative storytelling and cutting-edge technology. Her contributions to the field of animation have been instrumental in enhancing the visual quality of animated films.
Collaborations
Some of her notable coworkers include Mark Joseph Meyer and Lena Petrovic, who have also made significant contributions to the animation industry.
Conclusion
Hayley Iben's innovative work in hair simulation and model posing has made a lasting impact on the animation industry. Her patents reflect her dedication to advancing technology in feature films, ensuring that artistic needs are met with high performance.