Virtual Barber

What would you look like without a beard? Or how about with a different type of beard? Think of the beards as a layer on top of the face rather than part of the face itself. Using techniques developed by Nguyen, Lalonde, Efros, and De la Torre, the beard layer can be automatically removed by estimating a beardless face from a database of beardless faces. To refine the image synthesis, you can then using the differences between the original and synthesized images to define a beard layer mask. To examine less drastic measures, we extended the paper's techniques to include "style filters" which leave part of the beard intact by masking only parts of the beard layer. Some applications of this technique include helping match pictures of wanted persons who may have changed their appearance or helping men choose a facial hair style that fits their personality. Introduction For some men, their beard is a defining feature of who they are. Some guys go for years without shaving. Because it is such a big part of who they are, some men may have a difficult time “letting go”, even when they decide that it is time to shave. If there were some way to preview what you would look like without a beard or with a different style of facial hair before actually shaving, the decision to shave or not to shave could be made much easier for all those men who are on the fence about shaving. The problem for us to address, then, is how can you take a single image of a bearded face and realistically remove the beard while preserving the rest of the face?