Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media.
According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study.
Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged.
Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair, characterized by tightly coiled curls.
“There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then lost.”
However, the most recent research from Darke, Kim, and their team created algorithms that animate “phase locking,” “period skipping,” and “switchback” hair phases specific to afro-textured hair.
@popculturebrain Animators have finally figured out Black hair (Source: The Guardian) #animation #blackhair #computerscience #tv #movies #gaming #movietok #filmtok ♬ original sound – Alex | Pop Culture Brain
Kim explained that phase locking occurs when coily hair grows in a helix shape or a “spongy” layer near the scalp, leading to more defined curls as it grows. Period skipping is when some hairs “leap out” of a curl pattern, creating a frizz appearance. Switchback occurs when a curl changes direction, creating a “kink,” similar to phenomena found in plants and polymers.
The research builds on earlier work that began in 2020 when Darke founded the Open Source Afro Hair Library (Osahl), a free database that features 3D images of Black hair created by Black artists.
Before Osahl, 3D asset marketplaces — where animators and 3D artists could browse models for their projects — often included racist depictions of Black people, such as dressed in generic tribal attire or portrayed as mammy caricatures.
“My goal with the library was to create a new container that not only addressed the representation but also created a community for Black artists to have discussions around ‘What should we look like? What do we look like?'” Darke said, per The Guardian.
