Omron announces smile measurement software

Sensing component company Omron has created what it calls "smile measurement software," which rates the amount of happiness that human subject of a photo are exhibiting. On the face of it (ouch!), the applications aren't too obvious: then you consider that this could easily be used by robots to detect their owner's -- and future slave's -- state of mind, even if it is on a rather polarized scale. According to Omron, the subject doesn't even have to be looking at the camera to work, the application is only 50kb in size, and it can run effectively on embedded mobile chips. Just don't go complainin' when your next digicam confirms your worst fears, that yes, your child is emo.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 9th 2007 8:22AM]

You calling my kid Elmo?

Elmo loves to play, THEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDS!!!

[waiownsyou @ Sep 9th 2007 1:36PM]

EMO, not Elmo, fool!

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 9th 2007 5:38PM]

You thought I was serious?

Who's more foolish, the fool or the fool that follows him?

[Vexx @ Sep 9th 2007 6:34PM]

In this case, the fool.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 9th 2007 9:23PM]

Doh.

:(

[andi @ Sep 9th 2007 8:31AM]

ahem.. Conrad, where'd you get this cool info? :D

[shaliron @ Sep 9th 2007 8:36AM]

I think Sony is using it in their next wave of cameras:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0708/07082101sonyt200t70.asp

[Kevin @ Sep 9th 2007 8:52AM]

Okay, the Mona Lisa in that photo made me laugh REALLY hard.

[ganhardinheiro @ Sep 9th 2007 10:08AM]

Can some one chang the mona lisa smyle? It sucks man ...

[modenadude @ Sep 9th 2007 9:56AM]

haha! I didn't notice the Mona Lisa the first time, I laughed so hard when I did, haha!

[ilh @ Sep 9th 2007 8:57AM]

Someone on my course at uni did something like this but instead it could tell if someones eyes were closed.

[Samson @ Sep 9th 2007 9:21AM]

Just a note to add to shaliron's comment above. Here it is from SONY's Cybershot's Japanese website.
http://www.lightstalkers.org/smile_shutter_from_sony

[Fox McCloud @ Sep 9th 2007 9:53AM]

Have you guys used the Sony cameras that track faces as they move around your viewfinder? It is so cool!

IF crappy little cameras can do this stuff it's a little scary thinking about what governments are doing with cctv. LOL!

[Joel Ivory Johnson @ Sep 9th 2007 10:27AM]

Seems that tracking is a step below emotional assessment.

[Fox McCloud @ Sep 9th 2007 10:55AM]

Tracking requires more power because its cross referencing a much larger database with a much more complex data set, lots more info. Eg: the computer is not only seeing if ones arms and legs are bent at a certain angle, but how much the angle changes over time and create an individual signature which can be cross referenced real time against cctv feeds.

All the emo stuff is doing is finding your face and trying to find basic mouth shape or possibly brow angle. (or similar)

BTW I cant wait for eye toy 2 for ps3.

[madruscoe @ Sep 9th 2007 9:58AM]

http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/DSC/DSC-T200/feat1.html

[ganhardinheiro @ Sep 9th 2007 10:08AM]

Can you change the mona lisa smyle?

It sucks ...

[hguh @ Sep 9th 2007 10:20AM]

Posts with tag emo

No posts with tag emo found!

[pechorin @ Sep 9th 2007 10:21AM]

does it only works with asian people?

[hguh @ Sep 9th 2007 10:31AM]

LMAO

[Karl-Martin Alvenes @ Sep 9th 2007 10:55AM]

Yes

[DS @ Sep 9th 2007 11:01AM]

I know a guy that would get a -50% on that scale, he is always with his tough face like if he is going to show the world how baaad he is. lol.

[Rik @ Sep 9th 2007 11:16AM]

Oh dear, happiness has just fallen into the hands of statistics!

BTW the "smile sensing" camera allready exists, maybe Omron played a role in there too.

[artifex @ Sep 9th 2007 11:27AM]

so apparently only "open" or teeth-showing smiles can get 100%.
lame.

[anthone @ Sep 9th 2007 11:51AM]

lol that thing is ugly

[eurobloke @ Sep 9th 2007 11:53AM]

This technology of the computer finding out whether someone is smiling, is brilliant to someone like myself, who are incapable in "reading" the feelings of others.

[George @ Sep 9th 2007 12:29PM]

What happens if you take a pic just as someone pinches you. The grimace would look alot like a smile lol... I think I'll stick to my own judgement for the moment.

[robert fu @ Sep 9th 2007 12:31PM]

lol can I get this program??? Just for kicks i'd go through my photos with it.
I also picture Google's Picasa getting their hands on this lol, it's exactly something they'd do

[Bob @ Sep 9th 2007 1:05PM]

Omron used to license code from Eyematic Interfaces, that became Neven Vision, that was bought by Google... Hmm...

[Malachi @ Sep 9th 2007 1:04PM]

Of course... Mona Lisa is emo?

[Travis Aschemeyer @ Sep 9th 2007 1:44PM]

In the future, all smiles will be the exact same. :(

[rutsy5 @ Sep 9th 2007 2:36PM]

and they'll all look like this :)

[nick @ Sep 9th 2007 8:56PM]

I'm thinking the most obvious application would be in a digital camera, that automatically takes a picture when everyone is... you know, smiling.

[wezred @ Sep 10th 2007 12:13AM]

what if my teeth are yellow?

[pechorin @ Sep 10th 2007 11:42AM]

yellow teeth are -15%

[pechorin @ Sep 10th 2007 11:50AM]

yellow teeth are -15%

[Zeke @ Sep 10th 2007 12:27AM]

I, for one, welcome our new smile-enforcing robot overlords!

[Sirius @ Sep 10th 2007 5:15AM]

zeke huh.. u sure u're not a spy sent in from the future (by ethan..) to keep an eye on us lowly meatbags? :P