VIRTUAL CLOTHING MODELING APPARATUS AND METHOD

Trying on the clothes is simulated by processing an image sequence by using a posture dictionary, and a three-dimensional figure, obtained in advance, of a person who wishes to try on clothing. The process includes estimating the posture of the person, and simulating the motions of the clothes, in agreement with estimated time series posture data. A virtual modeling apparatus comprises an imaging device configured to take an image sequence, a posture-estimator which estimates the posture of a person in the image sequence from the three-dimensional figure data of the person and from data for various postures, a posture corrector which generates smooth and natural posture time series data from the time series of estimated postures, a clothes simulator which calculates the motions of the clothing being modeled, and a display device which displays images of the person as if they were actually wearing the clothing.