3D facial animation for very low bit rate mobile video

Three-dimensional facial model coding can be employed in various mobile applications to provide an enhanced user experience. The potential for low bitrate and scalability that 3D coding provides, makes it suitable for use in conjunction with various mobile networks from GSM to UMTS. However, what is less clear is the sensitivity to channel errors of 3D coded data. The paper examines this issue in order to determine appropriate delivery schemes for the encoded data. In particular, the performance of low bit-rate 3D "talking heads" is examined for GPRS (general packet radio service) and EGPRS (enhanced GPRS) networks. Tests using MPEG-4 facial animation parameter (FAP) encoding revealed that FAP coded streams are reasonably robust to error when compared to normal MPEG-4 coded video. However, certain channel errors produce highly disturbing effects that indicate the need for efficient error detection and concealment schemes.