H. Mitchell, "Analysing Single Photographic Images using Shape-From-Shading to Quantify Human Breast Profiles", in Proc. of 3DBODY.TECH 2017 - 8th Int. Conf. and Exh. on 3D Body Scanning and Processing Technologies, Montreal QC, Canada, 11-12 Oct. 2017, pp. 154-162, https://doi.org/10.15221/17.154.
Title:
Analysing Single Photographic Images using Shape-From-Shading to Quantify Human Breast Profiles
Authors:
Harvey MITCHELL
School of Engineering, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Abstract:
Inspections of the three-dimensional shape of the human breast for various medical and para-medical purposes may be undertaken by visual observation of the breasts or of photographs of them, or by laser scanner measurement. It is proposed here that useful quantitative breast shape information may also be deduced by numerical analysis of a single digital photograph of the breast, using the principle of extracting an object's shape from image shading.
Shape-from-shading (SfS) is a method of deducing shape from the reflectance levels in a single photograph of an object. If an object has smooth physical texture and if it has light even colouring, the SfS technique is a possible means of obtaining the three-dimensional surface shape. SfS is appealing because of its one advantage: simplicity. SfS needs no special equipment, and involves the numerical analysis of a single digital photographic image, which is discussed in this paper.
Although SfS is restricted to objects of invariant colour texture and simple physical texture, it is suggested that those drawbacks may be tolerated for the measurement of some external surfaces of the human body, i) because the human skin surface colour is usually plain, ii) if surfaces are not too convoluted, and perhaps even iii) where some prior surface shape information can be assumed. It is envisaged that these three conditions may occur along certain profiles across the breasts. Along those profiles, a triflingly simple mathematical solution to SfS is available. An approach which is found to be workable in cases of measurement of breast-like shapes is proposed, and some preliminary and exploratory but informative tests of the technique are reported, with some accuracy tests of the technique on known shape objects and preliminary breast profile measurements. Motivation for further testing and development depends on its prospects for medical use in breast measurement.
Details:
Full paper: 17.154.pdf
Proceedings: 3DBODY.TECH 2017, 11-12 Oct. 2017, Montreal QC, Canada
Pages: 154-162
DOI: 10.15221/17.154
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