Abstract: A statistical shape model is built by automatically establishing correspondence between a set of two dimensional shapes or three dimensional shapes. A parameterization of each shape is determined and, a statistical shape model is built using the parameterization. An objective function is used to provide an output which indicates the quality of the statistical shape model. By performing these steps repeatedly for different parameterizations and comparing the quality of the resulting statistical shape models using output of the objective function to determine which parameterization provides the statistical shape model having the best quality, the output of the objective function is a measure of the quantity of information required to code the set of shapes using the statistical shape model.

Abstract: A method of building a statistical shape model by automatically establishing correspondence between a set of two dimensional shapes or three dimensional shapes, the method comprising: a) determining a parameterisation of each shape, building a statistical shape model using the parameterisation, using an objective function to provide an output which indicates the quality of the statistical shape model; performing step a) repeatedly for different parameterisations and comparing the quality of the resulting statistical shape models using output of the objective function to determine which parameterisation provides the statistical shape model having the best quality, wherein the output of the objective function is a measure of the quantity of information required to code the set of shapes using the statistical shape model.