Over
the years, movies have fixed a futuristic fantasy in our minds that a time will
come when software would be used to recognize people by their faces. A time
when our faces will be our ID cards. With advent of facial recognition
technology, that time is already here.
Today,
along with drones, AI and IoT, facial recognition technology is also defining
our millennium. Facial recognition is a biometric technology used for
authentication and examination of individuals by correlating the facial
features from an image with the stored facial database. Face Recognition is one
of the most popular applications of image analysis software and no more
considered as a subject of science fiction. Earlier, this technology was only
used for security and surveillance purposes, but it has safely transitioned to
the real world in recent times. Today,
companies are pitching facial recognition software as the future of everything
from retail to policing.
The Facial Recognition- “Saga”
Woody
Bledsoe, Helen Chan Wolf, and Charles Bisson are known to be the pioneers of
facial recognition technology. During the 1960s, they worked on recognizing
human faces using a computer but only a part of there work was published and
recognized since their project was funded by some intelligence agency. Later in
the 1970s, Goldstein identified 21 facial measurement points. Later in 1988,
Kirby & Sirovich normalized a face image using less than 100 measurement
points. Finally, in 1991, first crude facial detection was done by Turk &
Pentland.
Facial Recognition – “The Last Step”
A
facial recognition system is used to identify and verify a person from an image
or video source. It uses biometric software’s along with AI enabled devices for
mapping facial features and brings out the recognition step. A facial
recognition software differentiates a face from rest of the background in the
image. The software first recognizes the face then measures different facial
features. The software recognizes these features as nodal points. A human face
consists of 80 nodal points. After measuring these features a numerical code
for the same is created and stored in the database. This is known as the
faceprint.
Earlier
the software relied on 2D image to identify or verify another 2D image from the
database but today it uses a 3D model for the same. This 3D model is more
reliable, better, effective and accurate than its 2D counterpart. Using the 3D
software, the system goes through a series of steps, facial recognition forming
the last one.
Face
detection is the first step of process wherein face is detected from an image
or a video. Once a face is detected, the system identifies its size and
position. In the next step, a faceprint is generated by measuring the facial
features. Finally, using the principle of object classification, the actual
process of matching data features to the details of individuals already stored
in database is done and facial recognition process is complete.
Application of Facial Recognition
There
are numerous applications of facial recognition. They can be segmented into
blacklist and whitelist applications. Blacklist applications include the ones
related to security & surveillance and identification of criminals. The all
other applications such as attendance tracking, access control and others fall
under the category of whitelist applications.
End-Use
|
Top Applications
|
Offices
|
Physical
access to workspace facilities
|
Government
|
Helps
to Identify missing children
|
Banking
and Telecom
|
Help
to know the current process to the customer, allow authentication of
credit/debit cards
|
Education
|
Allow
attendance tracking of the students and entry to labs
|
Construction
|
Control
access to specific point at a site
|
Real
Estate Commercial
|
Offers
access to campus facilities like residence halls, common area, cafeteria,
etc.
|
Manufacturing
|
Control
and record access to specific locations for employees, visitors, vendors and
maintenance staff
|
Aviation
|
Paperless
travel at airports
|
Warehouse
|
Control
process to provision entry and exit of vehicles
|
Entertainment
|
Access
to multiplex cinema
|
Array
of Industries in which Facial Recognition has penetrated so far
Facial
recognition is gaining traction in recent times, owing to the benefits it
offers over traditional surveillance techniques,
like biometrics. Facial recognition market is growing at a rapid pace and is
expanding to various verticals including government, healthcare, security, retail,
marketing, airport boarding’s, entertainment and many more. Automotive industry
is leveraging the potential of facial recognition and implementing it in smart
cars that start only upon recognizing the driver. Furthermore, dating sites are
also using this technique to match people with similar attributes.
According to TechSci Research report “Global Facial Recognition Market By Component (Software & Services), By Software Type
(2D, 3D & Thermal Face Recognition), By End Use Sector (Government &
Transportation, Military & Defence, etc), By Region, Competition Forecast
& Opportunities, 2023”, the global facial
recognition market stood at around $ 2.9 billion in 2017 and is expected to
grow at a CAGR of 13% by 2023, on account of growing criminal activities and
increasing need for enhanced monitoring and surveillance. Moreover, rising
awareness about the benefits of facial recognition and growing implementation
by the commercial sector is further expected to push the demand for facial
recognition technology in the coming years. Government, transportation and
military & defence are the largest contributors to the global facial
recognition market as these end use sectors are adopting facial recognition for
real time identification of criminals and to provide more secure environment.
Additionally, huge National ID Programs like ‘Aadhaar’ in India are also
boosting the face recognition market as they involve recording the facial
biometrics of individuals.
Key players in the Facial Recognition industry
Aware,
NEC Corporation, Ayonix Corp., Cognitec Systems, KeyLemon, nViso, Herta
Security, Techno Brain, Neurotechnology, Daon, Animetrics, 3M Company, IDEMIA,
and Gemalto are some of the leading players of the facial recognition industry. Companies operating in the market are using organic
strategies such as product launches, mergers and collaborations to boost their
share. For
example, in 2015, Cognitec Systems launched and incorporated a superior version
of the face recognition algorithm B9 in FaceVACS-DB Scan, one of its leading
facial recognition products. Also, Gemalto in 2017, supplied new automated
control gates for the PARAFE system (Automated Fast Track Crossing at External
Borders) at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris to facilitate transfer
from fingerprint recognition to facial recognition.
Global Facial Recognition Scenario
Governments
around the globe are investing significant resources in facial recognition
technology, among which, the United States and China are at the forefront of
the facial recognition market. The US government is planning to reshape its
airport security through facial recognition system for registration and
identification of visitors. There are many states in the US that allow law
enforcement to run searches against their databases of driver’s license and ID
photos. The FBI also has access to driver’s license photos of many states. This
technique can also be employed in police checks, although its use is rigorously
controlled in Europe. In 2016, the "man in the hat" responsible for
the Brussels terror attacks was identified by FBIs facial recognition software.
Several
projects in China pertaining to facial intelligence are already in action,
while most of them in other countries are only at the planning stage. The most
pervasive facial recognition surveillance exists in China. Its facial
recognition dragnet can locate a BBC reporter wandering across a city of 3.5
million people in a mere seven minutes. Best feature of this technology is that
the police can use both cameras and smart glasses to catch the criminals. This
approach is also helpful in tracking jaywalking cases. When people jaywalk, their photo appears on a
LED billboard and then they are notified and fined.
At
a KFC branch, in China payments are made using facial recognition. There is a
screen equipped with the technology where customers can make payments just by
smiling. The system then investigates its database and asks for a phone number
for an added security check. Some banks are even allowing customers to use their
faces instead of bank cards.
Additionally,
facial recognition can also find application as Humanoid robots. Facial
recognition is being used for identification of rare genetic diseases, also the
symptoms for different disorders can be recognized and prescription is
suggested accordingly.
Japan
also has some perspectives and some already working projects. For instance,
there is an automobile company Subaru, that has integrated facial recognition
cameras into its new brand of SUVs, the Forrester. The new vehicles can predict
when a driver is tired or falling asleep and can act if an accident could
happen. Facial Recognition will be used in Tokyo Olympics 2020 at the entrance
for security purposes instead of relying on ID cards for making an entry.
AI-powered cameras are also being used for catching shoplifters, verifying bank
employees and others.
UAE
also has big ambitions when it comes to Facial Recognition. A virtual aquarium
with 80 facial recognition cameras is fitted at the Dubai airport which
examines people when they pass through the aquarium. Police cars are also being
fitted with facial recognition cameras. At present this is in the testing
phase.
UK
has also adopted facial recognition technology and is using it in schools as
attendance tracking system. The system is being used to maintain discipline in
the schools and is also helpful in detecting any kind of threats to the school.
Scope of Facial Recognition Technology in India
The world is using
facial recognition technology and enjoying its benefits. Why should India be
left out? There is a huge scope of this technology in India and it can help
improve the country in various aspects. The technology and its applications can
be applied across different segments in the country.
- Preventing the frauds at
ATMs in India. A database of all customers with ATM cards in India can be
created and facial recognition systems can be installed. So, whenever user will
enter in ATM his photograph will be taken to permit the access after it is
being matched with stored photo from the database.
- Reporting duplicate
voters in India.
- Passport and visa
verification can also be done using this technology.
- Also, driving license
verification can be done using the same approach.
- In defence ministry,
airports, and all other important places the technology can be used to ensure
better surveillance and security.
- It can also be used
during examinations such as Civil Services Exam, SSC, IIT, MBBS, and others to
identify the candidates.
- This system can be
deployed for verification and attendance tracking at various government offices
and corporates.
- For access control
verification and identification of authentic users it can also be installed in
bank lockers and vaults.
- For identification of
criminals the system can be used by police force also.
Some
Concerns That Need To Be Addressed