Light Stage X
PROJECT OVERVIEW
I did research with the Light Stage X at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) from January - May 2019. Under the supervision of Professor Hao Li, Director of the Vision and Graphics Lab, I began building a database of Light Stage facial scans. The database will eventually consist of hundreds of scans and potentially be available for use as a public data set.
ABOUT THE LIGHT STAGE X
The Light Stage X is a giant spherical metal cage equipped with 25 cameras and 346 lights. The cameras are a mix of 4 megapixel monochrome and 12 megapixel monochrome and color cameras. The lights are a mix of red-green-blue and bright white LED lights. There is a chair within the middle of the cage on which the subject sits. After the system is set-up and the subject is properly aligned with the cameras, many photos are taken with different lighting patterns and facial expressions in order to capture the subject’s face. The photos taken are then sent through a processing pipeline to create 3D models and texture maps of a subject’s face that can be used to graphically replicate the subject for use in tv and film. The Light Stage has been used in major motion picture films such as Superman Returns (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and Avatar (2009).
CREATING THE RESEARCH DATABASE
For the research database, each subject is scanned making 27 specific expressions. The expressions are combinations of different facial movement isolations from the Facial Action Coding System. This list of expressions was created by Owen Ingraham, a Technical Artist at ICT.
Eyes Closed, teeth together, lips together
Eyes open, teeth together, lips together
AU4 Brow Lowerer, AU20 Lip Stretcher, AU21 Neck Tightener
AU26 Jaw Drop, AU25 Lips Part, AU42 Eyes Slit
Eyes closed extreme, AU6 Cheek Raiser, AU9 Nose Wrinkler, AU12 Lip Corner Puller, AU25 Lips Part
AU6 Cheek Raiser, AU44 Eyes Squint, AU16 Lower Lip Depressor
AU63 Eyes Up, AU22 Lip Funneler
AU28 Lip Suck, AU64 Eyes Down
AU61 Eyes Turn Left, lips right
AU62 Eyes Turn Right, lips Left
AU17 Chin Raiser, AU31 Jaw Clencher, AU43 Eyes Closed
AU5 Upper Lid Raiser, AU33 Cheek Blow
AU12 Lip Corner Puller
Brows Together, AU27 Mouth Stretch
AU1 Inner Brow Raiser + AU2 Outer Brow Raiser, AU5 Upper Lid Raiser, AU6 Cheek Raiser, AU9 Nose Wrinkler, AU10 Upper Lip Raiser, AU25 Lips Part
AU1 Inner Brow Raiser, AU14 Dimpler, AU39 Nostril Compressor
Eyes up 45 degrees right, AU30 Jaw Left
Eyes up 45 degrees left, AU30 Jaw Right
AU4 Brow Lowerer, AU15 Lip Corner Depressor
Eyes down 45 degrees left, AU18 Lip Pucker, AU35 Cheek Suck
Eyes down 45 degrees right, AU10 Upper Lip Raiser, AU11 Nasolabial Deepener
AU4 Brow Lowerer, Au15 Lip Corner Depressor
AU7 Lid Tightener, AU23 Lip Tightener
AU29 Jaw Thrust, AU38 Nostril Dilator
AU10 Upper Lip Raiser, AU16 Lower Lip Depressor, AU27 Mouth Stretch
AU4 Brow Lowerer, AU1 Inner Brow Raiser, AU24 Lip Presser
AU18 Lip Pucker, wiggle ears/scalp recede and tug backwards
EXAMPLE SCAN
Here is an example of a database scan of myself. Below you can see photos taken during the actual scan from various cameras and lighting patterns, as well as the 3D mesh models and reconstructions of my face after the images taken during the scan went through the processing pipeline.
