Face Recognition, Three Dimentional

Definition

Three-dimensional (3D) face recognition techniques exploit information about the 3D shape of the human face.

The majority of existing face recognition algorithms use 2D intensity images of the face. Although such systems have advanced to be fairly accurate under controlled conditions, extrinsic imaging parameters such as pose and illumination are still responsible for serious deterioration of their performance. To improve performance under these conditions, three-dimensional (3D) face recognition techniques have been proposed, that exploit information about the 3D shape of the human face. The use of 3D images for personal identification is based on the intuitive notion that the shape of faces can be highly discriminatory and is not affected by changes in lighting or by facial pigment.

The 3D geometry of the human face may be acquired by means of special sensors, including laser scanners, 3D cameras based on structured light or stereo vision techniques (see Fig. 1). Although...