Reconstructing B-spline Curves from Point Clouds--A Tangential Flow Approach Using Least Squares Minimization

We present a novel algorithm based on least-squares minimization to approximate point cloud data in 2D plane with a smooth B-spline curve. The point cloud data may represent an open curve with self intersection and sharp corner. Unlike other existing methods, such as the moving least-squares method and the principle curve method, our algorithm does not need a thinning process. The idea of our algorithm is intuitive and simple - we make a B-spline curve grow along the tangential directions at its two end-points following local geometry of point clouds. Our algorithm generates appropriate control points of the fitting B-spline curve in the least squares sense. Although presented for the 2D case, our method can be extended in a straightforward manner to fitting data points by a B-spline curve in higher dimensions