Recursive estimation of facial expression and movement

The issue of analysis/synthesis of human facial movements in model-based facial image coding is addressed. An affine model which is especially suitable to such a type of nonrigid motion as facial expressions is set up. Based on the affine model, a direct two-view motion estimation approach is presented. This approach is much faster than other existing approaches. To remove the error-accumulation problem associated with long sequence motion estimation, a new scheme which is equipped with a feedback loop connecting computer vision and computer graphics is used. Experimental results show that the method not only greatly reduces the computational complexity but also substantially improves the estimation accuracy. The synthesized image sequence using the estimated motion parameters, a 3-D model of the face, and a frame of textured image looks very natural