Synthesis and transformation of three-dimensional facial images: Extending the principles of face-space transformations by using texture- mapped laser-scanned surface data

The two-dimensional methods for facial image synthesis and transformation were enhanced using texture-mapped laser video depth data. Four methods are used to create new facial images. The first constructs average facial images from a sample of faces. The second exaggerates the difference between a subject and an average to create a caricature. The third captures the difference between two averages, which can then be applied to individuals for statistical transformation. Finally, principal component analysis is used to find the major axes of facial variation in a sample, allowing the construction of completely novel faces from a small vector of values.