Joe Laszlo

Research Interests

• Physics-based Performance Control for Animation and Robotics -- an incipient new human performance art form (dissertation in progress, but discussion is willing and easy :-)
• Interactive Control for Physically-based Character Animation [aka Physics-based Performance Control/Animation]
• Physically-based Animation
• Control of Balancing Creatures
• Novel Interfaces and Input Devices
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Publications
• Animation Examples

Teaching

• CSC320 - Introduction to Visual Computing Fall 2006 (UTM)

Other Interests

N.B. As it turns out, many of these are actually also related (often, very directly) to my "research" [and "development"] interests as well (i.e. physics-based animator-in-the-loop performance, both real and virtual), which is by mutual design. Do what you love, love what you do, "bring a little Jazz" to the world. :-P

• Engaging the World
• Smiles
• Mechanical (& other) design
• dextrous "dragon" wings
• [glow/fire] spinning gear
• animatronic/robotic [not much lately but hope to re-hash soon]
• Interaction Design & Evaulation [informal]
• Motorcycle riding
• LEGO Technics + hobbyist robotics


• Generally, artistic, aesthetic and athletic human performance endeavours of all varieties:
     Appreciating, analyzing, synthesizing, discussing, learning, teaching; with persistence, maybe one day, mastering :-]
     As it turns out, many of these are quite closely related to my ("long term plan") research, in whatever capacity it unfolds.

   Selected particular examples:
• Contact Juggling (beginner)
• Chinese Calligraphy (absolute beginner!)
• Fire spinning [only "borrowed" fire so far :-( ] (poi, staff; on good days, double staff & meteors; double-meteors on-deck :-) (novice)
   Stuff I've only heard about that sound too cool not to try one day...
• Fire Contact Juggling (no way! 1. I thought of this myself; 2. I can't believe someone actually does it.. must ... learn ... 8-)
• Fire Bullwhip (I used to swing basic bullwhip reasonably I think.. a few years practice & a bit of fire.. what harm could it do... ;-)
• Unicycling (absolute beginner.. but unicycling rocks! literally ;-)
• Guitar, jembe (beginner)
• Sketching (beginner-for-life :-/ :-} )
• Volleyball [slumbering]
• Tennis [slumbering]
• Gymnastics [slumbering, waking .. need more handstand push-ups.. ;-]
• Coaching/Teaching (anything, anybody, any time :-)

   On Deck "first [re-]trials" ... :-) [not necessarily in-order of next appearance... :-]

• Contact Juggling
• Unicycling
• Juggling w/clubs [absolute beginner - and here I thought I didn't like juggling much.. but *clubs* rawk! thx2Oriole!]
• Stilt walking [ *FINALLY* "got high" :-P .. STILL want power/spring stilts :-]
• "Tango, baby!" [just starting - my first actual dance instruction .. now which "right foot" was that again? ;-]

WARNING: Tango has been validated to be hazardous to the health of a diet of new activities and skills!
Approach with caution, initiate with care, proceed with commitment.. and apply only with deep consideration..
.. and your Tango Heart will be pure. ;-)
Resume a regular multi-disciplinary diet on earliest opportunity only after running the above to full course: >99% purity :-P

• Hand-to-hand acro [started building up to it!] [ bah! Tango-interference with strenth/conditioning..]
• Aerial "stuff" :-} (rope? hoops? silks? still pending more info.. :-)
• re-snymnastics - been out of any gym stuff for too long & poked my nose back in the other day -- wanna re-bounce - mmm... magnesium carbonate.. (chalk) :)
• Parkour.. (just dabbling/test runs.. to see whether the 'ol bod will give, or will get, the better of me :-P )
• Breakin' re-hash? -- [ old-schooled a bit but pretty unsure .. but likin' yon "air flares" _big-time_ :).
• Skydiving re-hash (aiming at freefall ... as it should be :-)
• Scuba
• Hang Gliding
• Surfing
• Bicycle wheelie-ing