Real-time reproduction of 3D human images in virtual space teleconferencing

For the first time, real-time reproduction of a 3D human image is realized by the experimental system the authors recently built for the realization of a virtual space teleconferencing, in which participants at different sites can feel as if they are at one site and can cooperatively work. In the teleconferencing system, the 3 D model of a participant is constructed by a wire frame model mapped by color texture and is displayed on the 3D screen at the receiving site. In the experimental system, to realize real-time detection of facial features at the sending site, tape marks are attached to facial muscles, and the marks are tracked visually. To detect movements of the head, body, hands and fingers in real-time, magnetic sensors and data glove are used. When the movements of the participant are reproduced at the receiving site, the detected results are used to drive the nodes in the wire frame model. Using the experimental system, the optimum number of nodes for real-time reproduction is obtained. Promising results for real-time cooperative work using the experimental system are demonstrated.