We utilize a relaxed matching framework which considers an optimization problem of the form:
$$\inf\limits_{\{q\in C^\infty([0,1],\Imm)\,|\,q(0)=q_0\}} \displaystyle\int_0^1 G_{q(t)}(\partial_t q(t),\partial_t q(t)) dt + \lambda \Gamma([q(1)], [q_1])$$
where $\Gamma$ is a data loss function on $\Shape$ with $\Gamma([p],[q])=0$ if $p\in[q]$.
An optimizer, $q$, minimizes the path energy functional and has $q(1)\in [q_1]$.
Thus, $q$ is a geodesic and orthogonal to the orbits of $\Diff$.
This approach was implemented in [1] for the SRNF metric.
$q_0$:
$q(0)$:
$q(1)$:
$q_1$:
$^1$. Bauer, Charon, Harms, and Hsieh, “A numerical framework for elastic surface matching, comparison, and interpolation”.