Reconstructing head models from photographs for individualized 3D-audio processing

Visual fidelity and interactivity are the main goals in Computer Graphics research, but recently also audio is assuming an important role. Binaural rendering can provide extremely pleasing and realistic three-dimensional sound, but to achieve best results it's necessary either to measure or to estimate individual Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF). This function is strictly related to the peculiar features of ears and face of the listener. Recent sound scattering simulation techniques can calculate HRTF starting from an accurate 3D model of a human head. Hence, the use of binaural rendering on large scale (i.e. video games, entertainment) could depend on the possibility to produce a sufficiently accurate 3D model of a human head, starting from the smallest possible input. In this paper we present a completely automatic system, which produces a 3D model of a head starting from simple input data (five photos and some key-points indicated by user). The geometry is generated by extracting information from images and accordingly deforming a 3D dummy to reproduce user head features. The system proves to be fast, automatic, robust and reliable: geometric validation and preliminary assessments show that it can be accurate enough for HRTF calculation.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• HRTF
• Head reconstruction
• Geometric algorithms

[TheCompyshop]

graphicly speaking, dosent look very good. what technologies can do today is much better than what your messing around with. the 3d image looks like a blown up balloon with marker on it.

[VisualComputingLab]

@TheCompyshop Indeed. this technique is used to create a head model which resemble mostly in terms of proportion with particular attention to ear's shape... to compute how sounds scatter on the head...

please see the paper for further details..

[AngelicalOrABeat]

Btw, good job guys, this is awesome. In my final dissertation I am comparing different audio engines like fMOD, WWise, the UDK sound editor and many others, trying to determine which one is closer to a real-life situation. One of the last chapters is about future implementations and I am talking about scanning faces and ears in order to have a fully-customised audio experience! I didn't even know somebody was working on this! I would really like to interview you and include you in my work!

[AngelicalOrABeat]

@TheCompyshop It's not about graphics, it's about audio. read the details before giving bad comments and thumbs down.