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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
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High-resolution, High-speed, Three-dimensional Video Imaging with Digital Fringe Projection Techniques
Published on: December 3, 2013
Quantification of facial motion for objective evaluation using a high-speed three-dimensional face measurement
Seiichi Nakata1, Yukio Sato, Pujitha Gunaratne
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsurumai-cho Showa-ku Nagoya, Japan. seisay@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Summary
This study introduces a 3D computer system to objectively measure facial asymmetry in conditions like Bell's palsy. The new method offers a more robust and accurate continuous grading of facial function compared to existing scales.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
- Facial Dynamics Analysis
Background:
- Facial asymmetry is a key indicator of normal and pathological facial functions.
- Objective evaluation of facial symmetry is crucial for diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
- Existing methods often rely on subjective assessments or marker-based tracking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a computer-generated objective evaluation technique for facial asymmetry.
- To compare the proposed technique with established grading scales for pathological facial function.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 3D face shape measurement system to capture facial data.
- Analyzed forced eye closure and grinning actions in healthy volunteers and Bell's palsy patients.
- Computed asymmetry by referencing a relaxed facial condition and compared results with the Yanagihara scale.
Main Results:
- Normal subjects showed low standard deviation and high correlation, indicating robust evaluation.
- Bell's palsy patients exhibited higher standard deviation due to greater data scatter.
- The proposed method yielded a continuous grading scheme, unlike the discrete House-Brackmann grading.
Conclusions:
- The proposed 3D system offers advantages over existing methods by avoiding reference points and markers.
- Directly evaluating 3D spatial variations provides robust and accurate estimations of facial deformation.
- This objective technique enhances the assessment of both normal and pathological facial functions.
