Stencil-based 3D facial relief creation from RGBD images for 3D printing

Three-dimensional (3D) selfie services, one of the major 3D printing services, print 3D models of an individual's face via scanning. However, most of these services require expensive full-color supporting 3D printers. The high cost of such printers poses a challenge in launching a variety of 3D printing application services. This paper presents a stencil-based 3D facial relief creation method employing a low-cost RGBD sensor and a 3D printer. Stencil-based 3D facial relief is an artwork in which some parts are holes, similar to that in a stencil, and other parts stand out, as in a relief. The proposed method creates a new type of relief by combining the existing stencil techniques and relief techniques. As a result, the 3D printed product resembles a two-colored object rather than a one-colored object even when a monochrome 3D printer is used. Unlike existing personalization-based 3D printing services, the proposed method enables the printing and delivery of products to customers in a short period of time. Experimental results reveal that, compared to existing 3D selfie products printed by monochrome 3D printers, our products have a higher degree of similarity and are more profitable.