skeletoncentered

Skeletoncentered is a modeling and analysis paradigm in which a simplified skeletal framework serves as the central reference for representing and processing complex shapes or motions. The term is used across disciplines such as biomechanics, computer vision, 3D animation, robotics, and paleontology to denote a skeleton-first approach that emphasizes the structure and constraints of a skeletal graph over surface detail.

Conceptually, skeletoncentered relies on a graph of joints connected by bones. Each joint is a node and each bone an edge, often with constraints that reflect joint limits, bone lengths, and connectivity. This abstraction enables consistent manipulation, comparison, and reconstruction, while enabling modular substitution of measurements or models at the skeleton level.

In practice, skeletoncentered methods may involve skeletonization of data, rigid-body or articulated models, and the use of forward or inverse kinematics to infer pose. The surface geometry or appearance is treated as a secondary layer that can be mapped onto the skeleton via skinning, rigging, or deformation fields.

Applications include motion capture analysis, clinical gait assessment, character animation, robotic planning with articulated joints, and fossil or anatomical reconstruction where only partial data are available.

Advantages include interpretability, reduced dimensionality, and easier integration with kinematic constraints. Limitations include potential loss of fine surface detail, sensitivity to skeleton accuracy, and the need for reliable skeletonization or calibration.

See also: skeletonization, skeletal animation, articulation, forward kinematics, inverse kinematics, rigging, graph-based modeling.