3-D head pose recovery for interactive virtual reality avatars

This paper discusses a tracking method allowing real-time recovery of the three-dimensional (3-D) position and orientation of a moving head. The described method uses a wireframe model of the head, a feature-based matching algorithm, and an extended Kalman filter estimator. The resulting motion tracking system works in a realistic environment without makeup on the face, with uncalibrated camera, and unknown lighting conditions and background.     

A 3-D anthropometric-muscle-based active appearance model

This paper describes a novel method for modeling the shape and appearance of human faces in three dimensions using a constrained three-dimensional (3-D) active appearance model (AAM). Our algorithm is an extension of the classical two-dimensional (2-D) AAM. The method uses a generic 3-D wireframe model of the face, based on two sets of controls: anatomically motivated muscle actuators to model facial expressions and statistically based anthropometrical controls to model different facial-types. The 3-D anthropometric-muscle-based model (AMBM) of the face allows representing a facial image in terms of a controlled model-parameter set, hence, providing a natural and constrained basis for face segmentation and analysis. The generated face models are consequently simpler and less memory intensive compared to the classical appearance-based models. The proposed method allows for accurate fitting results by constraining solutions to be valid instances of a face model. Extensive image-segmentation experiments have demonstrated the accuracy of the proposed algorithm against the classical AAM.     

Virtual prototyping tools for electronic design automation

Virtual prototyping environments are emerging as a new generation of EDA tools. Such a tool will allow the designer to test interactively complex electronic systems on an enhanced-reality virtual workbench, by concurrently running multidomain (mechanical, electrical, thermal, etc.) what-if experiments. Virtual prototyping will shorten the design cycle, improve the product quality, and reduce the time to market. Advanced computational techniques are needed to reduce the execution time, especially for the field (EM and thermal) models used in these virtual prototyping environments. This article shows how neural networks could be used efficiently for 3D EM field modeling. Neural network models have much better real-time performance than classical numerical EM-field modeling methods, and this is particularly important when the field analysis is coupled with system optimization     

Recrystallization behavior in deformed austenite of high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels

High temperature deformation experiments were conducted to monitor the recrystallization process in the austenite phase of a vanadium and columbium-treated HSLA steel alloy. The results show that columbium is much more effective than vanadium in retarding recrystallization. As the austenitizing temperature, above 2000°F, or time is increased the austenite recrystallization in the 1500° to 1700°F hot working temperature range is correspondingly increased. If, following the austenitization, the samples are held in the hot working temperature range for up to 5 min before hot working recrystallization occurs at a much faster rate. Several mechanisms are offered to explain the experimental results.