Muscle-based feature models for analyzing facial expressions

Abstract

We propose deformable models for tracking the continual motions of facial features, such as the eyebrows and mouth, in facial images. Directions and ranges of deformations of each facial feature are physically constrained by facial muscles. By using the directions and locations of facial muscles, feature models can be constructed with a few parameters and can be deformed only in the proper range and to the proper direction. The model parameters are obtained from the deformations of facial muscles, hence the proposed model can be easily applied to the anatomical analysis of facial expressions.