Study on the Use of Mimetic Words in Motion Design

We are developing a method to design a “creative and emotional motion” that resonates with deep feelings that are difficult to describe verbally. In previous studies, we developed a method of designing motions by combining base motions which expressed the designer’s feelings. This method may be applied to animated logos, etc. However, how base motions should be selected was not discussed. In this study, we attempt to support the selection of base motions by focusing on mimetic (reality-symbolic) Japanese words, which we believe can express deep feelings. Mimetic words express appearance, motion, and other phenomena, as opposed to onomatopoeic words, which imitate actual sound. We extracted mimetic words which indicate movement, and created a database of base motions from the motion of natural objects; mimetic words are related to base motions. We show the effectiveness of using mimetic words by combining base motions to generate a motion.