In an attempt to make computer animations and illustrations look more realistic, researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed Moxi. Moxi is a brush-and-ink style paint program that uses the model of pigment particles in water flowing onto paper. Basically, it shows the detail of paper absorbing water and pigment moving through water.

The simulation is based on mathematics — the lattice Boltzmann equation to be exact. The researchers believe the work could be used practically in the next one or two years.

[ via ACM TechNews ]