The new open-source Maya plugin was released. The plugin lets users simulate, program and ultimately control 6-axis industrial robots.
The plugin was created by Evan Atherton and Nick Cote, researchers at the Autodesk Robotics Lab. You can see from the video below how it can be used in filmmaking.
The main idea behind the Mimic plugin is to simplify the process of programming industrial robots. For the basement of the plugin, Atherton and Cote used the animating process in Maya that is well-known in the CGI industry and is quite simple.
You can check the simplicity and capability of the plugin in Apple Watch Commercial BTS down below.
The plugin was also used during MTV VMA 2019 on the stage. There were five robots on the stage: two of them were with LED screens, another two robots were with lighting rigs, and one robot was there to capture presenters as they came on stage.
You can learn more about the plugin and the history behind it here.