Facial animation in a nutshell: Past, present and future

Abstract

During its almost forty years of existence, facial animation has seen a host of technologies being invented, then fading into obsolescence. The modelling and animation methods have mostly been dictated by the available hardware, which greatly evolved through the years. Many animation desiderata that have been considered dreams at the time are now reality while ever new frontiers are encountered and explored. This paper provides an overview of the historically used technologies and attempts to predict the future trends in the field of facial animation as it permeates the entertainment industry with its feature films and computer games; the broad field of visualisation in science, including medical science and forensic analysis; and the fast growing field of information and communication technology and human-computer interaction. © 2006 SAICSIT.