The 2021 Taipei Lantern Festival, held for the first time in Wanhua, the original city district of Taipei, featured the theme “The Colorful New World of Eight Treasures.” Curated by artist Akibo, the festival included several zones: the Main Lantern Area, the Colorful Lantern Area, the Eight Treasures Lantern Area, the New World Lantern Area, and the first-ever AR Virtual Lantern Area, all displayed simultaneously.
This year’s main lantern, “New,” named after the homophone for “ox” in Chinese, is the first dancing main lantern in the history of the Taipei Lantern Festival. The dance movements were designed by Wu Yi-Fang, the lead dancer of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, and were translated into marionette puppetry by the Puppet & Its Double Theater. The choreography, combined with music and lighting effects, offers a stunning blend of traditional and futuristic elements. In the planning phase, the Yuri Studio team assisted with a self-developed virtual character recording platform, using motion capture technology to map real-time movements onto a 3D model of “New.” This allowed the dancer to control the 3D model in real-time, facilitating the simulation of the main lantern’s dynamic effects.
Our virtual character recording platform is built on core technologies such as motion capture, body sensing, Unity, 5G, and machine learning. It integrates proprietary enhancements like “42-point facial muscle detection,” “realistic facial muscle animation,” “43-point Unity limb movement production,” and “GPU-based cloth and hair physics engine.” These advancements enable real-time application of motion capture onto character skeleton models, with 5G integration allowing real-time interactive performance output. Using our platform, performers can see themselves as virtual characters, enhancing performance accuracy and immersion. Production teams can also view and adjust the simulation in real-time, allowing for immediate discussion and refinement.
Client｜Taipei City Government Department of Information and Tourism
Creative Team｜Yuri Studio
Executive Director｜Allan Yang
3D Art Design｜Yun-Chung Tsai, Yi-Rou Jiao
Art Director｜Allan Yang
Music Design｜Allan Yang