Face to face - in realistic 3D

March 14, 2005

UK experts develop super-realistic animation system

Computing experts at Cardiff University, UK, are developing a super-realistic animation system that simulates the movements of a face, based on speech.
The team in the School of Computer Science has developed highly advanced software which is continually learning the facial dynamics associated with a speaker and applying this knowledge to synthesize realistic facial animations.

"Our aim is to create sophisticated facial animation through speech," explained Dr David Marshall. "The applications include a new sophistication in film, computer graphics and animation technology – not just for films and games, but also for educational, mobile telecommunications, advertising, information services and internet applications."

The team has now become the first to invest in the latest video camera technology from US company 3dMD. This latest generation "4D system" is the first commercially available product that combines the element of time with the rapid generation of medically accurate 3D surface models.

"We had exhausted the possibilities of 2D technology," said Dr Marshall. "The new camera enables us to capture high quality data at very high speed, and will provide the next level of detail to reproduce expressions and the subtle nuances that happen during speech."

Source: Cardiff University


Rank 2 /5 (1 vote)
Tags

Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Soraa LED light may dim 50-watt halogen rivals

(PhysOrg.com) -- Soraa, a Fremont, California company founded in 2008, this week launched its first product, a light that uses LEDS (light emitting diodes). The "Soraa LED MR16 lamp" is the "perfect" replacement ...

Technology / Semiconductors

created 22 hours ago | popularity 4.3 / 5 (17) | comments 18 | with audio podcast report

Samsung can continue selling Galaxy tabs in Germany: court

South Korea's Samsung Electronics can continue to sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1N tablet computer in Germany, a German court ruled Thursday, rejecting a bid by arch-rival Apple to have them banned.

Technology / Business

created 20 hours ago | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 3

Digital photos could put kids at risk

A study published in the International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics this month suggests that parents and carers could be putting children at risk if they upload digital photos that are automatically "geota ...

Technology / Internet

created 16 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 3

Google launches Chrome browser for Android smartphones

With more and more people connecting to the Internet through a phone or a tablet instead of a PC, Google Inc. is bringing its fast-growing browser, Chrome, to the newest Android-powered mobile devices.

Technology / Software

created 18 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Model analyzes shape-memory alloys for use in earthquake-resistant structures

Recent earthquake damage has exposed the vulnerability of existing structures to strong ground movement. At the Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers are analyzing shape-memory alloys for their potential ...

Technology / Engineering

created 16 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast


'Dark plasmons' transmit energy

Microscopic channels of gold nanoparticles have the ability to transmit electromagnetic energy that starts as light and propagates via "dark plasmons," according to researchers at Rice University.

FDA-approved drug rapidly clears amyloid from the brain, reverses Alzheimer's symptoms in mice

Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The researchers' findings, published in the journal Science, show t ...

Hydrogen from acidic water: Researchers develop potential low cost alternative to platinum for splitting water

A technique for creating a new molecule that structurally and chemically replicates the active part of the widely used industrial catalyst molybdenite has been developed by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley ...

Ultraviolet protection molecule in plants yields its secrets

Lying around in the sun all day is hazardous not just for humans but also for plants, which have no means of escape. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can damage proteins and DNA inside cells, leading ...

Anyone can learn to be more inventive, cognitive researcher says

There will always be a wild and unpredictable quality to creativity and invention, says Anthony McCaffrey, a cognitive psychology researcher at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, because an "Aha moment" is rare and ...

Engineers find inspiration for new materials in Piranha-proof armor

(PhysOrg.com) -- It’s a matchup worthy of a late-night cable movie: put a school of starving piranha and a 300-pound fish together, and who comes out the winner?