Model-based human shape reconstruction from multiple views

Image-based modelling allows the reconstruction of highly realistic digital models from real-world objects. This paper presents a model-based approach to recover animated models of people from multiple view video images. Two contributions are made, a multiple resolution model-based framework is introduced that combines multiple visual cues in reconstruction. Second, a novel mesh parameterisation is presented to preserve the vertex parameterisation in the model for animation. A prior humanoid surface model is first decomposed into multiple levels of detail and represented as a hierarchical deformable model for image fitting. A novel mesh parameterisation is presented that allows propagation of deformation in the model hierarchy and regularisation of surface deformation to preserve vertex parameterisation and animation structure. The hierarchical model is then used to fuse multiple shape cues from silhouette, stereo and sparse feature data in a coarse-to-fine strategy to recover a model that reproduces the appearance in the images. The framework is compared to physics-based deformable surface fitting at a single resolution, demonstrating an improved reconstruction accuracy against ground-truth data with a reduced model distortion. Results demonstrate realistic modelling of real people with accurate shape and appearance while preserving model structure for use in animation.