Impossible figures brought to life in virtual worlds

Impossible figures brought to life in virtual worlds - New Scientist



Ever found a computer game truly impossible? If not, you soon might, thanks to Chinese computer scientists who have found a way to depict physically impossible figures in 3D virtual environments.

The endless staircases of the Dutch artist M. C. Escher appear impossible and possible at the same time, and able to go in all directions. Such visual trickery depends heavily on the observer's viewpoint – and that makes it difficult to animate Escher-type figures in games. If the viewpoint pans around a 3D computer depiction of such a staircase, "the impossibility is lost", says Tai-Pang Wu at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Now his team has found a way to make these images viewable from a useful array of angles. The trick is to take advantage of the image's strangeness; viewers scarcely notice if an Escher staircase becomes slightly distorted.