Towards a complete 3D morphable model of the human head

TL;DR

This paper introduces the most comprehensive 3D morphable model of the human head, integrating face, cranium, ears, eyes, teeth, and tongue, enabling detailed head reconstruction from single images.

Contribution

It presents novel methods to combine existing 3D head models into a unified, detailed, and versatile 3DMM of the human head, including new models for ears, eyes, teeth, and tongue.

Findings

Achieves state-of-the-art head reconstruction performance.

Successfully models detailed ear, eye, and mouth features.

Enables head shape and texture analysis from single images.

Abstract

Three-dimensional Morphable Models (3DMMs) are powerful statistical tools for representing the 3D shapes and textures of an object class. Here we present the most complete 3DMM of the human head to date that includes face, cranium, ears, eyes, teeth and tongue. To achieve this, we propose two methods for combining existing 3DMMs of different overlapping head parts: i. use a regressor to complete missing parts of one model using the other, ii. use the Gaussian Process framework to blend covariance matrices from multiple models. Thus we build a new combined face-and-head shape model that blends the variability and facial detail of an existing face model (the LSFM) with the full head modelling capability of an existing head model (the LYHM). Then we construct and fuse a highly-detailed ear model to extend the variation of the ear shape. Eye and eye region models are incorporated into the head model, along with basic models of the teeth, tongue and inner mouth cavity. The new model achieves state-of-the-art performance. We use our model to reconstruct full head representations from single, unconstrained images allowing us to parameterize craniofacial shape and texture, along with the ear shape, eye gaze and eye color.