We present an unsupervised algorithm for registering 3D surface scans
of an object undergoing significant deformations.
Our algorithm does not need markers, nor does it assume prior knowledge
about object shape, the dynamics of its deformation, or scan alignment.
The algorithm registers two meshes by optimizing a joint probabilistic
model over all point-to-point correspondences between them. This
model enforces preservation of local mesh geometry, as well as more
global constraints that capture the preservation of geodesic distance
between corresponding point pairs. The algorithm applies even when one
of the meshes is an incomplete range scan; thus, it can be used to
automatically fill in the remaining surfaces for this partial scan,
even if those surfaces were previously only seen in a different
configuration. We evaluate the algorithm on several real-world
datasets, where we demonstrate good results in the presence of
significant movement of articulated parts and non-rigid surface
deformation. Finally, we show that the output of the algorithm
can be used for compelling computer graphics tasks such as
interpolation between two scans of a non-rigid object and automatic
recovery of articulated object models.
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