NCJ Number
183896
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 44 Issue: 6 Dated: November 1999 Pages: 1224-1228
Date Published
November 1999
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes a method for interpolating or "morphing" between virtual images of facial reconstructions produced by using the "plastic" technique, which enables the interactive fattening of the face in three dimensions.
Abstract
The shape of the skull is a limited predictor of facial appearance, and facial reconstruction methods can offer at best a resemblance to the individual during life. Various unknown factors in addition to those relating to age, build, obesity, ethnic group, and the varying shape of the eyes, nose, and mouth mean that a variety of facial reconstructions could be produced from any single skull. A disadvantage of both traditional "plastic" facial reconstruction methods and existing computerized equivalents is that the finished reconstruction is fixed, and substantial further work is required if a modified outcome is to be presented. An advantage of computerization is that it offers a greater potential for easy revision of images. In the current study, "morphing," which enables the interactive fattening of the face in three dimensions, was achieved by using "qmorf," a demonstration program, and using the interpolator node of virtual reality modeling language (VRML). Because "qmorf" performs a simple linear interpolation between the start and end coordinates, future research is focusing on the development of VRML models and Java algorithms for nonlinear interpolation that more appropriately reflect the anatomical processes that underlie the fattening of the face. 3 figures and 8 references