In the 1980s, Thalmann together with
Nadia Magnenat Thalmann became interested in the realistic computer modelling and rendering of the human form, in motion. In 1988, they directed the short film
Rendez-vous in Montreal, which is widely regarded as the first computer film to employ synthetic actors, in this case
Humphrey Bogart and
Marilyn Monroe. In the 1990s, Thalmann focused his research on behavioural animation of Virtual Humans, introducing the concept of synthetic vision for autonomous virtual humans, and developing methods for realistic
gait modelling. In the late 1990s, he launched the first project on
crowd simulation of virtual humans, initiating a new field of animation that now attracts many researchers. Rendering of tens of thousands of agents, collision detection and generation of varieties of individual people became important issues. He also introduced, with Marcelo Kallmann, the concept of
smart objects as objects that describe their own possible interactions. He recently extended his research from virtual humans to social robots, working in the team on
Nadine Social Robot. Thalmann is also recognized in the area of
Virtual Rehabilitation, a term he coined with Professor Grigore Burdea of
Rutgers University (US). He has also created with him the International Conference on Virtual Rehabilitation and is a founder of the International Society of Virtual Rehabilitation. == Awards and honors ==