3D Face Reconstruction for Forensic Recognition -- A Survey
It addresses the problem of unclear forensic applicability for 3D face reconstruction, targeting researchers and practitioners in biometrics and forensics, but is incremental as it synthesizes existing knowledge.
This survey examines the application of 3D face reconstruction algorithms in forensic recognition, analyzing their achievements from surveillance videos and mugshot images while discussing current obstacles that prevent their active use in legal evidence.
3D face reconstruction algorithms from images and videos are applied to many fields, from plastic surgery to the entertainment sector, thanks to their advantageous features. However, when looking at forensic applications, 3D face reconstruction must observe strict requirements that still make unclear its possible role in bringing evidence to a lawsuit. Shedding some light on this matter is the goal of the present survey, where we start by clarifying the relation between forensic applications and biometrics. To our knowledge, no previous work adopted this relation to make the point on the state of the art. Therefore, we analyzed the achievements of 3D face reconstruction algorithms from surveillance videos and mugshot images and discussed the current obstacles that separate 3D face reconstruction from an active role in forensic applications.