In the field of human animation, hair represents one of the most challenging problems and therefore has been one of the least satisfactory aspects of human images rendered to data. This paper proposes a method to generate realistic hair model for individuals based on image processing. The analysis and recognition of hair strands by image processing provides valuable data, particularly hair outline and the flow direction of the hair for the rendering of realistic hair model for individuals. The image is binarized prior to lines extraction and the hair region is determined by a series of expansion and contraction. These data provide the basic guidance for the generation of the hair model. A simplified spring model is used for the hair modeling. In this spring system, a strand of hair is modeled as a series of interconnected masses, springs and hinges. Hair strands are randomly generated on the skull. The outline region acquired through image processing ensures that the randomly generated hair strands fall neatly into the hair region. These strands are randomly rotated to shuffle the hair strands. In the case of hair strands falling out of the outline region, weights are added or reduced at the interconnected masses in order to move the strand back into the hair region. The lines extracted by image processing serves as guide-lines directing the hair strands to point in the desired direction. This realistic hair model can find many applications in the generation of synthetic humans and creatures in movies, multimedia and computer game productions.

Date Published: 14 November 1996
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 2847, Applications of Digital Image Processing XIX, (14 November 1996); doi: 10.1117/12.258237

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2847:
Applications of Digital Image Processing XIX
Andrew G. Tescher, Editor(s)