Physical face cloning

Number: 10403404
Published: 2019-09-03
Filed: 2015-07-13
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Bickel; Bernd, Kaufmann; Peter, Thomaszewski; Bernhard, Bradley; Derek Edward, Jackson; Philip John, Marschner; Stephen R., Matusik; Wojciech, Gross; Markus, Beeler; Thabo Dominik
CPC: G06T19/20; G06F17/10; G16H50/50
Verdict: Medium Notable software
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Physical face cloning (3D reconstruction for animatronics/digital doubles).

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is provided for physical face cloning to generate a synthetic skin. Rather than attempt to reproduce the mechanical properties of biological tissue, an output-oriented approach is utilized that models the synthetic skin as an elastic material with isotropic and homogeneous properties (e.g., silicone rubber). The method includes capturing a plurality of expressive poses from a human subject and generating a computational model based on one or more material parameters of a material. In one embodiment, the computational model is a compressible neo-Hookean material model configured to simulate deformation behavior of the synthetic skin. The method further includes optimizing a shape geometry of the synthetic skin based on the computational model and the captured expressive poses. An optimization process is provided that varies the thickness of the synthetic skin based on a minimization of an elastic energy with respect to rest state positions of the synthetic skin.

Background

BACKGROUND(1) Field of the Invention(2) The present invention relates to the field of animatronics and, in particular, to a system and method for computer graphics modeling to clone physical faces.(3) Description of the Related Art(4) Generally, the field of animatronics aims to create physical robotic characters that move and look like real humans. Because the human body consists of articulated rigid structures (i.e., bones) and soft tissue (i.e., flesh and skin), conventional approaches have used a rigid articulated base and synthetic soft-tissue to create animatronic characters. Characters created with this approach have enjoyed wide success at amusement parks, theme parks, and exhibitions.(5) However, creating animatronic figures remains a difficult and labor-intensive process that requires a significant amount of manual work of skilled animators, material designers, and mechanical engineers. The physical constraints of real materials and actuators, in addition to virtual modeling of a human character, must be addressed to create a life-like animatronic character. Further, the human face is regarded as the most challenging part of creating an animatronic character, owing to the face's expressive power and to the limitations in the process of skin design. An animatronic character has to be able to produce a vast range of facial expressions, each having different folds and wrinkles. Manually designing the shape and material properties of a single skin that is able to achiev

Claims

1. A method for generating an object shape for a synthetic skin, the method comprising: determining a first target surface and a second target surface, wherein the first target surface comprises a neutral target pose, and the second target surface comprises an expressive target pose; generating a shape geometry for the synthetic skin, the shape geometry having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the outer surface is determined based on the first target surface comprising the neutral target pose; generating one or more material parameters for the synthetic skin based on a computational model that simulates deformation behavior of a fabricated object having the shape geometry and made from a defined physical material, such that the outer surface of the shape geometry in a deformed state more closely matches the expressive target pose of the second target surface; and fabricating the synthetic skin based on the shape geometry and the one or more material parameters, wherein the one or more material parameters define physical attributes of the synthetic skin. 9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code, that, when executed, performs an operation to generate an object shape for a synthetic skin, the operation comprising: determining a first target surface and a second target surface, wherein the first target surface comprises a neutral target pose, and the second target surface comprises an expressive target pose; generating a shape geometry having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the outer surface is determined based on the first target surface comprising the neutral target pose; generating one or more material parameters for the synthetic skin based on a computational model that simulates deformation behavior of a fabricated object having the shape geometry and made from a defined physical material, such that the outer surface of the shape geometry in a deformed state more closely matches the expressive target pose of the second target surface; and fabricating the synthetic skin based on the shape geometry and the one or more material parameters, wherein the one or more material parameters define physical attributes of the synthetic skin. 17. A system to generate an object shape for a synthetic skin, the system comprising: one or more computer processors; and a memory containing a program which when executed by the processors performs an operation comprising: determining a first target surface and a second target surface, wherein the first target surface comprises a neutral target pose, and the second target surface comprises an expressive target pose; generating a shape geometry having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the outer surface is determined based on the first target surface comprising the neutral target pose; generating one or more material parameters for the synthetic skin based on a computational model that simulates deformation behavior of a fabricated object having the shape geometry and made from a defined physical material, such that the outer surface of the shape geometry in a deformed state more closely matches the expressive target pose of the second target surface; and fabricating the synthetic skin based on the shape geometry and the one or more material parameters, wherein the one or more material parameters define physical attributes of the synthetic skin.