Watermarking 3D models

Copyright protection of graphical objects and models is important for protecting author rights in animation, multimedia, computer-aided design (CAD), virtual reality, medical imaging, etc. We suggest a blind watermarking algorithm for 3D models and objects. A string of bits, generated according to a key, is embedded in the geometrical structure of the graphical object by changing the locations of certain vertices. The criterion to choose these vertices ensures a minimal visibility of the distortions in the watermarked object. A bit encoding 1 is associated with positioning a vertex inside a volume modelled by the geometry of its neighbourhood, while a bit encoding 0 positions the vertex outside such a volume. The proposed watermarking algorithm is applied on various 3D models.