Monitoring surface shape variations on the human body

Monitoring changes on the surface of the human body can be difficult due to the very unstable nature of skin. Stable control points between epochs are difficult to establish. This paper examines previous attempts to monitor the human surface. An algorithm is presented which is capable of matching two models of the one area on the human body which have been gathered at different epochs. No control points are required to exist on the human surface, or between epochs. Further, the algorithm is expanded to include surface differencing capabilities. This allows surfaces which have changed shape between epochs to be matched and the differences identified.