moving pictures: motionportrait technology can make a moving cg face from a single picture

June 3rd, 2009 comments stumble it! digg it! by: lambert v.

Japan-based MotionPortrait Inc. has developed a way of making a three-dimensional image of a person’s face based only on a single headshot. What’s really impressive about MotionPortrait technology is that the CG face moves and can make all sorts of expressions in a fairly realistic manner. And remember, that’s just based on a single source image.

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The source image is on the left, and the CG is the one on the right. Currently, MotionPortrait can modify the CG face by adding glasses or facial hair, as well as changing hairstyles. Click here or here to see an example of a MotionPortrait in action.

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The CG face is still obviously artificial – the color is too pale, and the movements are a bit stiff – but it’s not that far off. MotionPortrait technology has been used in commercials in Japan, but I’m really hoping that the technology could be incorporated into video games someday.

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Think of it: you snap a picture of yourself, upload it into your console, and it generates a CG face that you can use in games, complete with facial expressions. How awesome would it be to see a CG version of yourself playing basketball with the pros in NBA 2k15? Or be able to play Final Fantasy 25 with you as the hero? Technology: it’s the bee’s knees.

[via Tech on!]

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