Abstract: A method for automated landmark extraction from three-dimensional whole body scanned data extracts feature points as landmarks from a plurality of point clouds obtained from a three-dimensional whole body scanner, without pre-making the landmarks on a human body before scanning. The system includes: (1) Silhouette analysis, which projects three-dimensional body scanned data onto a two-dimensional surface and observes the variations in curvature and depth; (2) Minimum circumference, which uses the variations of the circumference of body parts to define the locations of the landmarks and feature lines; (3) Gray-scale detection, which converts the color information of human body from RGB values into gray-scale values to locate the landmarks with greater variations in brightness; and (4) Human-body contour plot, which simulates the sense of touch to locate landmarks by finding the prominent and concave parts on the human body.

Abstract: The present invention is an animatable 3D character with a skin surface and an internal skeleton and a production method thereof. 3D scanned data is used to generate an animatable 3D character, formed of a skin surface and an internal skeleton. The method includes using scanned data to generate a skin surface, generating the internal skeleton, and linking the skin surface with the internal skeleton and establishing an animation mechanism. The complete skin surface can be generated in a sequence from points to lines and then from lines to a surface based on the interrelation therebetween. Landmark extraction methods identify major body joints and end points of body segments that may influence motions. And these points are connected to form the internal skeleton. The skin surface is linked to the internal skeleton, so that while controlling the internal skeleton, the skin surface can be driven to generate motion.

Abstract: A method for automated landmark extraction from three-dimensional whole body scanned data extracts feature points as landmarks from a plurality of point clouds obtained from a three-dimensional whole body scanner, without pre-making the landmarks on a human body before scanning. The system includes: (1) Silhouette analysis, which projects three-dimensional body scanned data onto a two-dimensional surface and observes the variations in curvature and depth; (2) Minimum circumference, which uses the variations of the circumference of body parts to define the locations of the landmarks and feature lines; (3) Gray-scale detection, which converts the color information of human body from RGB values into gray-scale values to locate the landmarks with greater variations in brightness; and (4) Human-body contour plot, which simulates the sense of touch to locate landmarks by finding the prominent and concave parts on the human body.