Abstract: A method for reconstructing a 3D shape model of an object by using multi-view image information, includes: inputting multi-view images obtained by photographing the object from multiple viewpoints in a voxel space, and extracting silhouette information and color information of the multi-view images; reconstructing visual hulls by silhouette intersection using the silhouette information; and approximating polygons of cross-sections of the visual hulls to a natural geometric shape of the object by using the color information. Further, the method includes expressing a 3D geometric shape of the object by connecting the approximated polygons to create a mesh structure; extracting color textures of a surface of the object by projecting meshes of the mesh structure to the multi-view image; and creating a 3D shape model by modeling natural shape information and surface color information of the object.

Abstract: A method for producing a 3D facial animation using a single facial video stream, includes producing a representative joint focused on a major expression producing element in a 3D standard facial model, producing a statistical feature-point model of various facial expressions of different people in the 3D standard facial model, moving each feature-point of the statistical feature-point model by tracking a change in facial expressions of the video stream, calculating a transformation coefficient of the representative joint corresponding to a variation of the feature-point of the 3D standard facial model, and producing a 3D facial animation by applying the calculated transformation coefficient to transform the representative joint.

Abstract: A method for providing knowledge includes creating a three-dimensional virtual space, generating temporal and spatial information including knowledge and space information concerning the three-dimensional virtual space at a specific time point, and associating the temporal and spatial information with the three-dimensional virtual space to be stored in a memory. The creating the three-dimensional virtual space may be created based on a map or a two-dimensional image.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing digital cartoons includes: an image collection unit for collecting photorealistic image data; and a cartooning processor for performing a rendering process including image abstraction and edge generation on the photorealistic image data collected by the image collection unit to generate cartooned images. The apparatus further includes a stylization unit for producing a cartoon page having various shapes of cartoon frames, resizing the cartooned images to place the resized images into the cartoon frames and adding cartoon elements to the images placed in the cartoon frames.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for simulating fluid particles having multi-resolution. In the method, given particle data expressing fluid is analyzed in an fluid particle analyzing module so that data for determining resolutions is obtained. A resolution of each of regions is determined using the obtained data in a resolution level determining module. Particles of each of the regions are reformed to particles corresponding to the resolution of each of the regions using the determined resolution of each of the regions in a fluid particle reforming module. Position data of fluid particles of a next frame is obtained after a simulation using the reformed particles in a multi-resolution fluid simulation module. Therefore, the fluid simulation having the high resolution can be performed in limited computing resources by applying different resolutions to each of the regions.

Abstract: Provided is a method for generating a three-dimensional (3D) mesh based on unorganized sparse 3D points to generate a mesh model that displays a 3D surface by using unorganized sparse 3D points extracted from a plurality of two-dimensional image. The 3D mesh generating method based on unorganized sparse 3D points includes the steps of: receiving a plurality of unorganized sparse 3D points, a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) corresponding point information, and images; generating an initial mesh by using the received 2D corresponding information; removing an abnormal face from the initial mesh; checking if unused 2D corresponding point information exists among the received 2D corresponding point information; if unused 2D corresponding point information exists, reorganizing the initial mesh by performing a constrained Delaunay triangulation; and if unused 2D corresponding point information does not exist in the result of the confirmation, generating a final mesh.

Abstract: There is provided a method of representing and animating a 2D (Two-Dimensional) character in a 3D (Three-Dimensional) space for a character animation. The method includes performing a pre-processing operation in which data of a character that is required to represent and animate the 2D character like a 3D character is prepared and stored and producing the character animation using the stored data.

Abstract: Provided are system and method for generating a 3D facial model and animation using one video camera. The system includes a pre-processing part, a facial model generating part, a transferring part, a projecting part, an error calculating part, and a mesh transforming part. The pre-processing part sets correspondence relations with other meshes, generates an average 3D facial model, and generates a geometrical model and a texture dispersion model. The facial model generating part projects the average 3D facial onto an expressionless facial image frame that stares a front side to generate a performer's 3D facial model. The transferring part transfers a 3D facial model template having an animation-controlled model to the performer's 3D facial model to generate the performer's 3D facial model. The projecting part projects the performer's 3D facial model onto a facial animation video frame including a facial expression. The error calculating part calculates an error projected by the projecting part.

Abstract: Provided are a system and method for extracting a curvature adapted mesh from a three dimensional implicit function data. The system includes an initial mesh generation module, a curvature geometry module, a space division module, and a final mesh extraction module. The initial mesh generation module generates an initial mesh by receiving implicit function data. The curvature geometry module receives the initial mesh from the initial mesh generation module, calculates a directional curvature of a curved surface, generates a Delaunay vertex set used for Delaunay triangulation, and recalculates an implicit function.

Abstract: A ripple and foam creation apparatus and method using water particle data is provided to create ripples and foam, and detect positions of the created ripples and foam for a water simulation used to create visual special effects in animations or movies. The apparatus includes a water particle grouping module checking grouping types of water particles from received water particle data to selects small water masses, a ripple creation module determining a position for ripple creation by using the checked grouping types, a foam creation module detecting flow of the water particles and calculating a position for foam creation, and a ripple-foam moving/removing module detecting changes of the created foam and ripples over time and removing the created foam and ripples.

Abstract: Provided is a camera self-calibration method that calculates a focal length of a fixed zoom lens camera from a correspondence point position between images. In the method, a cost function, which is a function of a focal length, is defined, and a focal length that minimizes the defined cost function is obtained to obtain a focal length that allows 3D recovery results of correspondence points calculated from all image pairs coincide with one another. Therefore, reliability of the calculated focal length can be easily verified, and the focal length of the camera can be stably calculated even when the position of input correspondence point is inaccurately given.

Abstract: A method for producing cartoon animation using character animation and mesh deformation is provided. The system includes a motion analysis module, a mesh deformation module, a motion deformation module, and a skinning module. The motion analysis module receives existing motion data having information about non-deformed motions of a character, and extracts parameters from the existing motion data by analyzing an animation value that a character's each joint has. The mesh deformation module receives existing mesh data having information about an external appearance of a character and existing skinning data having information for cohering the parameters or bones with mesh, and generates deformed mesh data. The motion deformation module receives the existing motion data and deforms motion using the parameters. The skinning module receives the deformed mesh data, the deformed motion data, and the existing skinning data and generates character animation data having cartoon like motion.

Abstract: Provided is a silhouette rendering apparatus and method using temporal coherence in a 3D space. The silhouette rendering apparatus includes: an edge extracting module for extracting edges of a 3D object by using a smooth surface method generating edges on a surface among silhouette extracting algorithms among mesh information representing a mesh shape; a stroke generating module for generating a stroke by linking the acquired edges; and a parameter computing module for determining a related stroke based on camera and object animation information extracted from current and previous frames of the stroke, computing style-related parameters of the stroke, and setting them up. This makes artists freely express silhouette by applying parameters of silhouette edges to a silhouette style having temporal coherence between frames based on a concept that the silhouette edges move in a 3D space.

Abstract: An image inspection apparatus determines whether a test image is a copy of an original image. The image inspection apparatus includes an image group generation unit that determines one or more types of image transform, and transforms the original image according to the determined types of image transform to generate an original image group; a spatial color difference computing unit that transforms a color space of the generated original image group, and calculates first spatial color differences between the original image and images in the original image group to provide color difference data; an image inspection unit that receives the test image and the original image group to calculate second spatial color differences between the test image and the images in the original image group, and compares the second spatial color differences to the color difference data; and an inspection result output unit that outputs the comparison result.

Abstract: Provided is a method for creating a 3-D curved surface by using corresponding curves in a plurality of images. The method includes performing an NURBS fitting curve with respect to one image in a plurality of images having camera calibration and extracted camera parameter by using control points designated in a curve characterizing a subject shape. When the curve fitting is performed with respect to the curve that commonly exists in more than two images, a 3-D curve is created by using a camera calibration information, or a 3-D curved surface is created by creating a plurality of 3-D curves or straight lines. Therefore, a 3-D curved surface model can be easily and quickly created by simplifying a complex modeling process for an actual object modeling into an actual image-based modeling process.

Abstract: There are provided a unified framework based on extensible styles for 3D non-photorealistic rendering and a method of configuring the framework. The unified framework includes: 3D model data processing means for generating a scene graph by converting a 3D model input into 3D data and organizing the scene graph using vertexes, faces, and edges; face painting means for selecting a brusher to paint faces (interiors) of the 3D model using the scene graph; line drawing means for extracting line information from the 3D model using the scene graph and managing the extracted line information; style expressing means for generating a rendering style for the 3D model and storing the rendering style as a stroke, the rendering style being equally applied to a face-painting method and a line-drawing method; and rendering means for combining the stroke and the selected brusher to render the 3D model using both the face-painting method and the line-drawing method.

Abstract: A method for modeling a three dimensional shape of object using a level set solution on a partial differential equation derived from a Helmholtz reciprocity condition is provided. The method includes the steps of: a) inputting an image pair satisfying a Helmholtz reciprocity condition; b) performing an optical correction and simultaneously performing a geometric correction; c) performing a camera selection to select cameras capable of seeing a point (X, Y, Z), and defining and calculating a cost function by the Helmholtz reciprocity condition; d) calculating a speed function of a PDE that minimizes the cost function obtained in the step c); and e) generating a three dimension mesh model from a set of points configuring the object surface provided from the step d), and deciding a final three dimension mesh model by comparing cost function values.

Abstract: A virtual reality embodying system uses 2D images and HDRI data taken of a target object through a camera to embody virtual reality. A modeling unit compares the 2D image's coordinate with a real coordinate to calculate a transform matrix, calculates a vanishing point of a reference vector, uses the vanishing point to calculate a camera matrix, uses the camera matrix and the transform matrix to calculate a rotation matrix and a translation matrix, and uses the rotation matrix and the translation matrix to model the 2D image into a virtual model. A rendering unit uses the HDRI data as texture to render the virtual model, and embodies the HDRI into an extended VRML node to apply the virtual model to the VRML environment.

Abstract: Provided is a method for generating a three-dimensional (3D) mesh based on unorganized sparse 3D points to generate a mesh model that displays a 3D surface by using unorganized sparse 3D points extracted from a plurality of two-dimensional image. The 3D mesh generating method based on unorganized sparse 3D points includes the steps of: receiving a plurality of unorganized sparse 3D points, a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) corresponding point information, and images; generating an initial mesh by using the received 2D corresponding information; removing an abnormal face from the initial mesh; checking if unused 2D corresponding point information exists among the received 2D corresponding point information; if unused 2D corresponding point information exists, reorganizing the initial mesh by performing a constrained Delaunay triangulation; and if unused 2D corresponding point information does not exist in the result of the confirmation, generating a final mesh.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for reconstructing a 3D shape of an object by using Helmholtz stereopsis. The apparatus includes: an image capturer for capturing two pairs of images satisfying Helmholtz reciprocity condition; a preprocessor for estimating optical and geometrical characteristics of a camera used for the image capturing; and a geometrical data reconstructor for converting Helmholtz restrictions generated from the respective pairs of the images into partial differential equations on the basis of the estimated optical and geometrical characteristics, and reconstructing 3D surface data of an object with depth discontinuity at a boundary between regions on the basis of the partial differential equations.