KinectAvatar: Fully Automatic Body Capture Using a Single Kinect

Abstract. We present a novel scanning system for capturing a full 3D human body model using just a single depth camera and no auxiliary equipment. We claim that data captured from a single Kinect is sufficient to produce a good quality full 3D human model. In this setting, the challenges we face are the sensor’s low resolution with random noise and the subject’s non-rigid movement when capturing the data. To overcome these challenges, we develop an improved superresolution algorithm that takes color constraints into account. We then align the super-resolved scans using a combination of automatic rigid and non-rigid registration. As the system is of low price and obtains impressive results in several minutes, full 3D human body scanning technology can now become more accessible to everyday users at home.

Crystal structure and mechanistic basis of a functional homolog of the antigen transporter TAP

ABC transporters form one of the largest protein superfamilies in all domains of life, catalyzing the movement of diverse substrates across membranes. In this key position, ABC transporters can mediate multidrug resistance in cancer therapy and their dysfunction is linked to various diseases. Here, we describe the 2.7-Å X-ray structure of heterodimeric Thermus thermophilus multidrug resistance proteins A and B (TmrAB), which not only shares structural homology with the antigen translocation complex TAP, but is also able to restore antigen processing in human TAP-deficient cells. TmrAB exhibits a broad peptide specificity and can concentrate substrates several thousandfold, using only one single active ATP-binding site. In our structure, TmrAB adopts an asymmetric inward-facing state, and we show that the C-terminal helices, arranged in a zipper-like fashion, play a crucial role in guiding the conformational changes associated with substrate transport. In conclusion, TmrAB can be regarded as a model system for asymmetric ABC exporters in general, and for TAP in particular