The Fossil of Motion

Simulating the Creature from the Motion

Chenghao He
MDes Mediums 2025
Muwen Li
MDes Mediums 2025
Yetong Xin
MDes Mediums 2025
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1 Virtual museum with simulated biological fossils.

The inspiration for this project stems from the diverse array of animal specimens and fossils displayed in the cabinets of the Harvard Museum. The inorganic specimens, encased in cold glass cabinets, serve as simulations of real organic beings, creating a sense of reality that doesn't exist.

In this project, we generate organic fossil replicas through inorganic motion trajectory data, sculpting the entangled relationship of inorganic matter simulating organic entities. To faithfully recreate organic beings, we use the HTC Vive controllers to sketch the fundamental structural curves of marine organism skeletons, and restore the creatures' skin texture through algorithmic modeling.

Through this project, we aim to delve into the complex relationship between the inorganic and organic, reality and simulation, and offer a fresh perspective to reflect on our perceived world.

Project video
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2 The C# coding process.
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3 Design sketch of final geometry.
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4 Some models in the design process.
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5 Final render outcome of the fossil of the motion.