A face tracker is exactly what it sounds like. It tracks a face in a video sequence. Depending on the complexity of the tracker, it could track the face as a rigid object or as a complete deformable face model with face expressions. This report is based on the work of a real time feature based face tracker. Feature based means that you track certain features in the face, like points with special characteristics. It might be a mouth or eye corner, but theoretically it could be any point. For this tracker, the latter is of interest. Its task is to extract global parameters, i.e. rotation and translation, as well as dynamic facial parameters (expressions) for each frame. It tracks feature points using motion between frames and a textured face model (Candide). It then uses an extended Kalman filter to estimate the parameters from the tracked feature points.

This thesis aims at building a system capable of automatically extracting and parameterizing the position of a face and its features in images acquired from a low-end monocular camera. Such a challenging task is justified by the importance and variety of its possible applications, ranging from face and expression recognition to animation of virtual characters using video depicting real actors. The implementation includes the construction of Active Appearance Models of the human face from training images. The existing face model Candide-3 is used as a starting point, making the translation of the tracking parameters to standard MPEG-4 Facial Animation Parameters easy. The Inverse Compositional Algorithm is employed to adapt the models to new images, working on a subspace where the appearance is "projected out" and thus focusing only on shape. The algorithm is tested on a generic model, aiming at tracking different people’s faces, and on a specific model, considering one person only. In the former case, the need for improvements in the robustness of the system is highlighted. By contrast, the latter case gives good results regarding both quality and speed, with real time performance being a feasible goal for future developments.

Nesta tese, pretendo desenvolver um estudo comparatista com o objetivo de demonstrar o efeito de crítica cultural implícito no uso da ironia e da paródia de discursos não-literários em contos de Machado de Assis. Este trabalho visa também investigar a relação das narrativas desse autor com o gênero sátira – a partir do manejo das referidas estratégias composicionais – e, assim, ressaltar a especificidade do seu realismo e a natureza de sua perspectiva satírica, quando comparada às que se apresentam nas sátiras de Voltaire (Cândido) e de Swift (As Viagens de Gulliver).

Nesta tese, pretendo desenvolver um estudo comparatista com o objetivo de demonstrar o efeito de crítica cultural implícito no uso da ironia e da paródia de discursos não-literários em contos de Machado de Assis. Este trabalho visa também investigar a relação das narrativas desse autor com o gênero sátira – a partir do manejo das referidas estratégias composicionais – e, assim, ressaltar a especificidade do seu realismo e a natureza de sua perspectiva satírica, quando comparada às que se apresentam nas sátiras de Voltaire (Cândido) e de Swift (As Viagens de Gulliver).

Nesta tese, pretendo desenvolver um estudo comparatista com o objetivo de demonstrar o efeito de crítica cultural implícito no uso da ironia e da paródia de discursos não-literários em contos de Machado de Assis. Este trabalho visa também investigar a relação das narrativas desse autor com o gênero sátira – a partir do manejo das referidas estratégias composicionais – e, assim, ressaltar a especificidade do seu realismo e a natureza de sua perspectiva satírica, quando comparada às que se apresentam nas sátiras de Voltaire (Cândido) e de Swift (As Viagens de Gulliver).

No description available.

Text in French with abstracts in French and English. Translated title in English / La recherche montre Voltaire comme un auteur très connu du « Siècle des Lumières ». Voltaire a pu démontrer la véritable situation de la femme à l’époque. Les romans de Voltaire bien que courts, sont pleins d’esprit et lui ont valu jusqu’à aujourd’hui la plus grande part de sa gloire dans la littérature. Les propres expériences de Voltaire avec les femmes qu’il a rencontrées dans sa vie sont dépeintes dans ses romans. Il a mis l’accent sur l’exploitation des femmes dans les années 1800 à travers ses romans. Il dépeint la sensualité des femmes qui a longtemps été un sujet qu’il aimait exprimer dans ses œuvres. Voltaire critique et ridiculise la sensualité des femmes. Pour comprendre l’’attitude paradoxale de Voltaire envers la femme dans ses œuvres, il est important de connaître les relations qu’il a partagées avec les femmes tout au long de sa vie. Son attitude sceptique est dépeinte dans beaucoup de ses romans. / This research shows Voltaire as a well-known author of the “Enlightenment Age”. Voltaire has been able to demonstrate the true situation of woman at that time. Voltaire’s novels though short are full of spirit and have earned him until today the greater share to his glory in literature. Voltaire’s own experiences with women he met in his life are portrayed in his novels. He emphasized the exploitation of females in the 1800’s through his novels. He portrays the sensuality of women that has long been a subject that he liked to express in his works. Voltaire criticizes and ridicules the sensuality of women. To understand Voltaire’s paradoxical attitude towards woman in his works, it is important to know the relationships he shared with women throughout his life. His skeptical attitude is portrayed in many of his novels. / Classics and World Languages / M.A. (French)

Dans un village, désert gris, un enfant porteur d'une longue tradition ne peut aspirer au bonheur. Comme on disait chez lui, « lorsque l'on naît d'un lion on devient un lion », lui était né de rats et, selon les lois, devait demeurer de jour adossé à son mur et de nuit, chercher de quoi manger. Jusqu'au jour où l'Étrangère arrive au village. Étrange voyageuse, elle voit au-delà de la condition de l'enfant et découvre une étincelle au fond de lui. Quelques mois passent et tous les jours, elle s'assoit au côté de l'enfant stoïque et lui parle de sa vie, des mathématiques, de la survie en forêt, de tout. Cependant, un matin, personne ne vient s'asseoir aux côtés de l'enfant. Il se questionne sans succès et finit par poser le regard sur l'objet le plus précieux que l'Étrangère possède, sur une table devant lui, et prend la première décision de son existence : il retournerait l'objet à l'Étrangère. À travers ces lignes, je me questionne sur le bonheur humain, pourquoi certains l'atteignent, pourquoi échappe-t-il aux autres et à quel point sommes-nous responsables de ce résultat. Dans la section essai, je discute « bonheur » avec Rostand et Voltaire par le biais de nos trois œuvres, Cyrano de Bergerac, Candide et Charif ou l'antipathie du bonheur. Je compare le destin de ces personnages surdimensionnés et m'interroge sur l'implication de chacun quant à l'atteinte de leur but ou leur échec, à savoir s'ils parviennent ou non à atteindre le bonheur. / In a village, lost in a grey desert, a young boy following in a long tradition could not aspire for happiness. As we say in his country, "when born from a lion, a lion you become". He descended from rats and hence, according to the law, he would remain against the wall by day and scavenge for scraps by night. That is, until the Traveller arrived in the village. The mysterious wanderer could see beyond his condition and soon she uncovered a spark in him. Months went by and day after day she would sit next to the stoic boy and tell him about her life, about mathematics, forest survival, anything and everything. One morning, however, nobody came. The boy remained puzzled until he noticed the Traveller's most cherished possession lying on a table in front of him. At that point, he took the first decision of his life, namely returning it to the Traveller. In these pages, I explore the matter of human happiness, why some find it, why others do not and to what extent do we play a role in the result. In the essay, I discuss the subject of happiness with Rostand and Voltaire based on our work, more specifically Cyrano de Bergerac, Candide and Charif ou l'antipathie du bonheur. Therein I compare the destiny of bigger-than-life characters and wonder about their involvement in reaching their goal or not, that is, finding happiness.