A research team from Tohoku University has harnessed the power of deep reinforcement learning to replicate the flow of water when disturbed. Replicating this agitated liquid motion, as it is known, allowed them to recreate water flow in real time based on only a small amount of data from real water. The technology opens up the possibility for virtual reality interactions involving water. Crucial to the breakthrough was creating both a flow measurement technique and a flow reconstruction method that replicated agitated liquid motion.
To collect flow data, they placed buoys embedded with special magnetic markers on water. The movement of each buoy could then be tracked using a magnetic motion capture system. Yet this was only half of the process. The crucial step involved finding an innovative solution to recover the detailed water motion from the movement of a few buoys. Researchers used a computer to simulate calm liquid. Then, they made each buoy act like a force that pushes the simulated liquid, making it flow like real liquid. The computer then refines the way of pushing via deep reinforcement learning.
More information:
https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/let_it_flow_recreating_water_flow_for_virtual_reality.html