Category: tech

M-B-P bilabial visemes

We all have asymmetries in our expressions. Many of these asymmetries can be observed during speech. As a specific example: When our lips press together to produce M’s, B’s, and P’s, you’ll commonly see one side of the face (lips, nose, etc.) dragged more than the other. 👄

In this video, observe how the nose and lips are pulled down more dominantly toward the right (screen right):

Leveraging these nuanced (and sometimes not-so-nuanced) idiosyncrasies can be used to create more believable digital humans and animated characters. They can also be used to decode or improve deepfakes.

We all have different degrees and patterns of signature asymmetry. Simple and subtle application of asymmetry can take your animation and 3D characters to the next level.

eyelid crease variation

eyelid crease variation - beyond double lid creases and epicanthal folds

The depth and amount of lid skin in people with upper lid creases is highly variable! This is one of the many reasons eyeliner users can’t approach lining the same way. Got secrets hidden in there.

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ARKit to FACS cheat sheet

If you or your team are using open-source face tracking kits, figuring out what’s what can be challenging. Navigate the ambiguity with the FACS Translation Sheet!

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Bypassing VR Headset Occlusion in Face Tracking – PREVIEW

VR headset occlusion guide

There is a superstition among engineers and researchers that you cannot track facial landmarks (features like the eyebrows, eyes, and mouth) when they fall outside the camera view. This belief is not entirely true. You can still track facial movements despite occlusion, and here’s how!

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faces you don’t want to see during UX research – especially for VR

facial expressions you to avoid during UX research sessions

Faces of discomfort often followed headset adjustment – or predicted upcoming adjustments. Bored faces and faces on the contempt spectrum tended to be predictive of undesirable experiences later disclosed during the post-demo interviews. These expressions were not just useful for predicting events. They also served as points for further investigation.

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