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| Research article summary (published 29 Nov 2002): |
Synthetic faces, face cubes, and the geometry of face space.
Full Abstract
To simplify the study of visual face processing, we introduce a novel class of synthetic face stimuli based upon 37 measurements (head shape, feature locations, etc.) extracted from individual face photographs in both frontal and 20 degrees side views. Synthetic faces are bandpass filtered optimally for face perception and include both line and edge information. Pilot experiments establish that subjects are extremely accurate in matching a synthetic face with the original grayscale photograph, even across views. To determine the perceptual metric of face space, we introduce face cubes in which the geometric differences between any faces in a four-dimensional face subspace can be precisely determined. Experiments on face discrimination using face cubes establish the metric of synthetic face space as locally Euclidean, with discrimination thresholds representing 4-6% total geometric variation (as a percent of mean head radius) between faces. Discrimination thresholds are lowest for face cubes constructed around the average face, thus indicating that the mean face for each gender represents a natural origin for face space. Finally, synthetic faces exhibit a pronounced inversion effect for 20 degrees side views and a characteristic "Thatcher effect" for inverted front views. Synthetic faces and face cubes thus provide a useful new quantitative approach to the study of face perception and face space.
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Author information
Author/s: Wilson, Hugh R (HR); Loffler, Gunter (G); Wilkinson, Frances (F);
Affiliation: Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Canada.
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal: Vision research (Vision Res), published in England. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2002-Dec; vol 42 (issue 27) : pp 2909-23
Dates: Created 2002/11/26; Completed 2003/04/14; Revised 2006/11/15;
PMID: 12450502, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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