2009/12/01 by Hui Huang, Dan Li, Hao Zhang +4 · 2 citations
Computer Science · Engineering · #3D Shape Modeling and Analysis #Advanced Numerical Analysis Techniques #Computer Graphics and Visualization Techniques
paper · doi:10.1145/1618452.1618522
openalex publication_date 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
We consolidate an unorganized point cloud with noise, outliers, non-uniformities, and in particular interference between close-by surface sheets as a preprocess to surface generation, focusing on reliable normal estimation. Our algorithm includes two new developments. First, a weighted locally optimal projection operator produces a set of denoised, outlier-free and evenly distributed particles over the original dense point cloud, so as to improve the reliability of local PCA for initial estimate of normals. Next, an iterative framework for robust normal estimation is introduced, where a priority-driven normal propagation scheme based on a new priority measure and an orientation-aware PCA work complementarily and iteratively to consolidate particle normals. The priority setting is reinforced with front stopping at thin surface features and normal flipping to enable robust handling of the close-by surface sheet problem. We demonstrate how a point cloud that is well-consolidated by our method steers conventional surface generation schemes towards a proper interpretation of the input data.