A physically-based model for real-time facial expression animation

Abstract

In this paper we propose a physically-based 3D dynamic facial model based on anatomical knowledge for facial expression animation. The facial model incorporates a physically-based approximation to facial skin and a set of anatomically-motivated facial muscles. The skin model is established through the use of a mass-spring system with nonlinear springs which simulate the elastic dynamics of a real facial skin. Facial muscle models are developed to emulate facial muscle contraction. Lagrangian mechanics governs the dynamics, dictating the deformation of facial surface in response to muscle forces. The dynamic facial modeling algorithm runs at interactive rate with continuous 3D display on a graphics workstation. Using our system, we can effectively synthesize realistic facial expressions and analyze tile relationship between facial surface deformation and the activation of underlying facial muscles.