Multiresolution 3D facial model compression

We propose an approach to efficiently compress and transmit multiresolution 3D facial models for multimedia and very low bit rate applications. A personal facial model is obtained by a 3D laser digitizer, and further re-quantized at several resolutions according to different scope of applications, such as animation, video game, and video conference. By deforming 2D templates to match and re-quantize a 3D digitized facial model, we obtain its compressed model. In the present study, we create hierarchical 2D facial wireframe templates at five resolutions. In the deformation procedure, 2D templates are adapted according to facial feature points and the proposed piecewise chainlet affine transformation (PCAT) method. The 3D digitized model after requantization are reduced significantly without perceptual loss. Moreover, the proposed multiresolution facial models possessed a hierarchical data structure and are apt to be progressively transmitted and displayed across the Internet.