An improved active shape model method for facial landmarking based on relative position feature

Abstract

Active Shape Model (ASM) is a most effective method of facial landmarking. It employs two models, profile model and shape model, to match the position of facial landmark. In this paper, we introduce a new model based on relative position feature (RPF) in local region to improve ASM. We found the fact that landmarks with larger matching error have more shape matching displacement. So, in our method, RPF model is used to adjust the position of landmarks with more shape matching displacement in every matching iteration. STASM (Stacked ASM) is practical standard of ASM and is proved to be the best method of locating face landmarks. Our experiments on STASM show significant performance improving, especially on databases in which faces are partially blocked by glasses or artificial black square.