The evolution and wonders of technology never cease to fascinate us. The mere idea of software recognizing a human face from a digital image seemed fanciful at the beginning. Thanks to the advancement of technology, the idea has not only been made feasible but has also been implemented efficiently and fruitfully.
Face Recognition- What is It?
The discussion surrounding the topic of face recognition technology is brought up frequently among technology enthusiasts. Before we partake in such intellectual debates, it’s important that we clearly understand, what exactly is face recognition technology.
Face recognition technology is highly advanced software that recognizes a human face from a digital image or a video frame, by running the input image data against a database.
Face recognition technology is now prevalently used in various sectors. The incorporation of facial recognition technology has revolutionized the field of surveillance, security, and law enforcement.
How does it work?
Face recognition technology usually comprises:
- Camera- Initially, the camera detects the face of a person, either alone or in a crowd and the digital image of the face is captured. The captured image is then analyzed by the face recognition software.
- Face recognition software- The software scrutinizes unique facial features like the size of the chin, the shape of the lips, and forehead size and, subsequently converts the data into mathematical representations, which are later compared with the previously stored data in the database.
- Database- The database complements the software, thus providing us with the desired result. The software recognizes the face in the digital image, which matches the data in the database.
Where do we use it?
Face recognition technology has a wide spectrum of applications, in this widely technologized world. Listed below are the applications of face recognition technology:
Mobile Phone Security:
Face recognition technology is now commonly used in mobile phones. Why need a unique password, when you have a distinct face with unique facial features? Your face can serve as the password of your phone and your data is 100% secured.
Law Enforcement:
Face recognition technology has helped law enforcement agencies, in solving several crimes. This technology helps in identifying the offender easily, given that footage of the crime is captured in a CCTV camera.
Identifying the criminal would become an arduous task, in the absence of facial recognition technology. Don’t be surprised if the cops knock on your door for over-speeding, you are always being watched!!! The surveillance system has been bolstered by the inclusion of the facial recognition system.
Robotics:
Ever wondered how humanoid robots and AI recognize faces? The advancement of facial recognition technology has made the impossible, possible! The robots and the AI utilize recognition technology, to learn and recognize faces in a real-time environment. The further amalgamation of facial recognition with robotics and artificial intelligence will definitely provide the path to the revolution in the field of robotics.
Workers and Students Attendance Record:
The manual attendance record is outdated and is prone to several errors. This means that it’s time to replace the conventional attendance record system. Facial recognition technology has supplanted the conventional attendance record in several institutions around the globe.
The face recognition system and fingerprint recognition system are predicted to completely replace the usual method of attendance recording in the imminent future. The face recognition attendance system is proven to be more effective and error-free (No more proxies).
Documents Security
The security of your important documents is made certain with the help of face recognition technology. These documents of higher importance can be accessed only using your biometrics, thus ensuring absolute security. The possibilities of document fraud and forgery can be minimized to a large extent with the assistance of facial recognition technology.
Other Applications of Facial Recognition Technology:
- Used to find missing persons.
- Helps in password less, secure banking transactions.
- Automobile security.
- Facial recognition technology is employed in airports for security checks.
Downsides of Facial Recognition Technology:
Face recognition technology has its own demerits. This technology is a relatively new one and is not completely devoid of flaws. The demerits of facial recognition technology are as follows:
- Facial recognition is considered to be a violation of privacy, which is considered to be a direct violation of basic rights.
- The effectiveness of the technology directly depends on the clarity and resolution of the images.
- The overall efficacy of facial recognition technology is questioned, as the facial features of an individual change with time.
- The technology can be manipulated using fake data and information. Deepfakes are being used to sabotage the proper functioning of the technology.
- The accuracy of the results by the technology is not 100% and thus there are chances that it can erroneously implicate an innocent person.
Conclusion:
Face recognition technology has seen a drastic development in the past few years. Keeping in mind the pace of technological advancement, it is no doubt that the flaws and errors of face recognition technology will be rectified in the imminent future. The accuracy of the results produced and the anomalies which occur during face recognition are being studied extensively; to develop a technology with is fully reliable and foolproof. The future of face recognition looks promising with a huge scope for development.
I hope this article is helpful. I’m grateful that I am studying in the best colleges in Coimbatore.
Student Name: Arunjith.A.S
Department: Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering