Generating an avatar from real time image data

A method for automatically generating a facial avatar resembling a user in a defined art style comprising:

• capturing image data of user head features including facial features by a capture device;
• generating a user head model for the user based on the captured image data by one or more processors communicatively coupled to the capture device;
• identifying a set of transferable user head features from the user head model which can be represented in the facial avatar based on transferable head feature rules for the defined art style;
• identifying a set of avatar character head features to represent the set of transferable user head features based on the transferable head feature rules for the defined art style by:
• identifying one or more user head features which can be represented by one or more symbol features in the defined art style of the avatar based on transferable head feature rules for the defined art style,
• representing the one or more user head features by the one or more symbol features into a 3D model for a selected avatar head shape, and wherein
• the transferable head feature rules directing which of the facial features are transferable to the facial avatar for the defined art style;
• generating the facial avatar in the defined art style including the set of avatar character head features;
• and
• displaying the facial avatar by a display communicatively coupled to the one or more processors.

A system for automatically generating a facial avatar resembling a user in a defined art style comprising:

• one or more image capture devices including one or more depth sensors;
• one or more displays;
• one or more memories for storing measurement metrics for user head model data and rules identifying a set of transferable user head features which can be represented by the facial avatar;
• one or more processors having access to the one or more memories and being communicatively coupled to the one or more image capture devices for receiving image data including a depth value for user head features including facial features and being communicatively coupled to the one or more displays;
• the one or more processors generating a user head model for the user based on the image data communicatively coupled to the one or more capture devices;
• the one or more processors identifying the set of transferable user head features from the user head model which can be represented in the facial avatar based on transferable head feature rules for the defined art style;
• the one or more processors identifying a set of avatar character head features to represent the set of transferable user head features based on the transferable head feature rules for the defined art style, the transferable head feature rules directing which of the facial features are transferable to the facial avatar for the defined art style;
• the one or more processors iteratively performing a morph target animation technique operating on shape units of a human head reference mesh model until a matching criteria with a tracking mesh is satisfied,
• the one or more processors storing a set of measurements relating the head features and the tracking mesh as the user head model, including storing as coefficient data of the user head model the coefficients data for each point in each respective shape unit which satisfied the matching criteria;
• the one or more processors generating the facial avatar in the defined art style including the set of avatar character head features;
• and
• the one or more processors displaying the facial avatar by the one or more displays.