facialrecognition
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Konami's 3DS dating simulator uses facial recognition to block virtual cheating
We may still not have an official price for the Nintendo 3DS, but it looks like you can now at least count on yet another unique gaming experience not found on other handheld systems. Konami recently announced that its "Project Loveplus" dating simulator for the system will not only take advantage of the system's 3D capabilities, but that it will also include a so-called "boyfriend lock" that uses facial recognition to prevent any virtual cheating. Apparently, if someone else picks up your 3DS and tries to play the game, your virtual girlfriend will act confused and respond with phrases like "who are you?" -- which, incidentally, is a question you might also want to ask yourself before looking for ways to import the game from Japan (yeah, don't count on this one being released over here).
Nokia N900 does real-time face tracking for verification (video)
In a world where smartphone unlock patterns and PINs can be easily gleaned from display muck, and computer passwords can be deciphered from the telltale audible clicks of the keyboard, it's any wonder that research is funded for alternative identity verification schemes. One promising technology is face verification -- technology we've already seen implemented in webcams, laptops, and more recently, Microsoft's Kinect for Xbox 360. Where we haven't seen it broadly deployed is in the easy-to-lose smartphone, at least not with the level of sophistication achieved by the University of Manchester (UK). Using an N900, the research team developed a prototype that quickly locks and tracks 22 facial features in real time (even when upside down) using the Nokia's front-facing camera. The Active Appearance modeling technique was developed for the EU-funded Mobile Biometrics (MoBio) project as a means of using face verification to authenticate smartphone access to social media sites. Unfortunately, there's no mention of how long Manchester's face-verified login actually takes. Nevertheless, the video, apparently shot in a steam room full of hot man smudge, is worth a peep after the break.
Share Happy vending machine dispenses ice cream for a smile (and your soul)
We thought the Let's Pizza machine was wild, but this next item is downright scary... and delicious! The brainchild of Unilever (the company that owns Ben & Jerry's, Good Humor, Breyers, Klondike, and Wall's), Share Happy is a $20,000 Sapient-built ice cream vending machine that takes your picture, using facial recognition to determine if you're smiling and Photo Booth-esque features (superimposing "funny hats, a mustache, glasses, bow tie, afro hair, things like that," on your mug) to coax you into smiling. And once it determines that you are smiling, it gives you a free ice cream treat -- but not before collecting valuable demographic information by analyzing the image for things like gender and approximate age and asking you to sign away your likeness for promotional use. The images are sent to Unilever HQ a few times an hour, using either Ethernet, WiFi, or 3G. Camera shy? Don't worry, you'll still be able to pay for your junk food the old fashioned way. Currently being tested in Singapore, Lisbon, and Paris, with a UK test planned "soonish." Check the thing out on video by hitting the source link.
Video: Sony's Vision Library for PlayStation Eye recognizes faces, creates nightmarish human-cow hybrids
What's this, another fun tech demo from Sony? Just a few days ago we got a glimpse of the PS3VR library, which allows seamless zooming from far away to very, very close indeed. The company also showed off voice recognition tech and it's now applying the same idea to the PlayStation Eye, fulfilling earlier promises of advanced facial recognition for the PS3. It's called the Vision Library and, once a face has been analyzed, the machine can tell it apart from others, determine orientation, identify gender, tell what expression that face is... expressing, and then superimpose some big-eyed anime head right on top of it real-time. We fear this might take some of the fun out of cosplay night, but could make life rather more interesting for freaks with bovine fetishes. See for yourself after the break.
Sony's PlayStation Eye to gain facial recognition capabilities
It was almost two weeks ago that we first heard about the patent for Sony's PlayStation Eye-powered object motion detection, and now the company's announcing facial recognition for the console. According to Gamasutra, Kish Hirani, SCEE's Head of Developer Services, said that the facial recognition software would "detect gender and even the age of the face, separate facial features such as the nose, eyes and ears, and even detect whether you're smiling or not." This new gear will also work with the Sony Motion Controller, with the camera tracking X, Y and Z motion by using the glowing ball. Speaking at the Develop Conference in Brighton, Hirani stressed that companies won't need to develop their own tech to work with the new controllers. "If you are working with the PlayStation Eye and think there is some new tech you're going to have to develop for the motion controllers, just get in touch with us. We have a wealth of libraries available, and the chances are you won't have to develop any technology yourself." You hear that, guys? get to work![Via SlashGear]
Video: TAT's augmented reality concept unveiled
You remember TAT, right? Amongst other things The Astonishing Tribe has done some bang-up work with the user interface for the G1, unveiled a pretty impressive 3D eye-tracking concept, and now they're hard at work developing something called Augmented ID, an augmented reality concept that uses facial recognition software to attach your visage to a profile. When someone views you through their handset's camera, pre-selected info and social networking links appear to hover around you, letting your new found friend in on more than just your pretty smile. Of course, this is only a concept at the present moment, but when it does become real, make sure you remember to remove those links to JDate and the Cracked Magazine forums before that important corporate presentation. Trust us -- you don't want those worlds colliding. Hit up that read link for the latest from the Swedish design team, but not before you peep this stellar video after the break.Read - TAT Showroom
Toshiba shows off in-car facial recognition system
We've seen plenty of systems that rely on facial recognition for an interface, but they've so far been a decidedly rarer occurrence when it comes to in-car systems. Toshiba looks set to change that, however, with it now showing off a new system that'll not only let you control the A/C or radio with the glance of your eye, but alert you if you happen to take your eyes off the road for too long. That's done with the aid of a camera mounted above the steering wheel that's used to identify and map out the driver's face, letting the car (or desktop PC in this demonstration) detect everything from head movement and eye direction to eyelid blinks, which Toshiba says could eventually be used to alert drowsy drivers. Unfortunately, Toshiba doesn't have any immediate plans to commercialize the technology, although it apparently busily working to make it more suited for embedded CPUs.
Sony Ericsson's facial recognition patent plays the perfect song to complement your mood
We don't expect this to be indicative of any near-term projects for the now financially hindered phone maker, but one of Sony Ericsson's recently unearthed patents paves the way for some interesting uses. From what we gather, while listening to music on your device, a picture of your face would be taken. That image would then be run through software that interprets your mood, and an appropriate next song based on those emotions would be picked -- so much for the art of mixtapes. Presumably, it'd also require a phone or device with a camera mounted on the same side as the screen, so unless mobile video conferencing takes off in a huge way, we can't see people paying extra for a phone or device with this configuration. And if you just got dumped over SMS, we hope it doesn't intepret those tears as a good time to play that Damien Rice song you two fell in love with. Hit up the read link for the full patent details. [Via Slash Gear]
Yahoo Japan plans facial recognizing, content personalizing billboards
Sometimes it seems like the worlds of science and marketing are in a constant struggle to present us with the future described in science fiction. Whether its flying cars, the OS from Minority Report, or robots that play "rock, paper, scissors," the old saw is true: you can't fight progress. And now it looks like Yahoo Japan has jumped into the fray, with a little help from Comel, a Japanese company that manufactures billboards. The two firms are collaborating on electronic signage that photographs passersby, analyses it using NEC's facial analysis technology, and guesstimates his or her age. Once the demo is confirmed, the device spits out appropriate advertising content. According to the poorly translated press release, the "face image data" is then erased, saving only a record of the passerby's age and sex -- so you Civil Libertarians can rest easily. Right.[Via Trading Markets]
UK college begins testing facial recognition attendance system
It's something we never really appreciated when waltzing into class way back when, but the ability to show up at your leisure without having to "clock in" and "clock out" was awesome. If you agree, you'll probably want to shred that application for City of Ely Community College in the UK, which has become one of the first UK schools to trial a new facial recognition technology from Aurora. Officials suggest that knowing who is on campus at any given time helps them in case of emergency, as they can easily see if they've collected everyone into a safe area; being the Big Brother haters that we are, we tend to see things a bit differently. And besides, who really wants to show up two minutes early to class to have some machine look at your groggy, tattered up face? Have a look in the read link for a quick video of what you are (or are not, we suppose) missing.[Via Slashdot]
Samsung ST10 combines digicam and PMP, practically snaps pics for you
Also making the rounds this week is Sammy's ST10, the 9 megapixel companion to the newly announced TL100. In addition to the rather ho-hum face detection we see so often these days, this claims to be the first camera with facial recognition: it keeps track of your favorite faces, prioritizing them when focusing in the future. Also included is a 3-inch touchscreen LCD, integrated MP3 player, Digital Image Stabilization, Smart Scene Recognition and more. This bad boy will be available from February 2009, priced at £179 (roughly $270).
Lenovo gets official with IdeaCentre K210 desktop
We heard that Lenovo was shuffling its lineup a bit earlier this month, and sure enough, that IdeaCentre brand is getting its 15 minutes today courtesy of a fresh press release. Hailed as the outfit's "global entry into the consumer desktop market outside of China," the IdeaCentre K210 comes with a variety of hardware choices including Intel's Core 2 Quad processors, up to 3GB of DDR2 RAM, a GMA X3100 integrated graphics set (or a 512MB ATI Radeon 2600 XT), optional Blu-ray drive, gigabit Ethernet, a 16-in-1 multicard reader and an anti-microbial keyboard that comically stands out more than it was likely intended to. Nevertheless, the tower also includes VeriFace facial recognition technology that enables users to log in by simply gazing into the webcam; if it performs anywhere nearly as poorly as it did on our U110 review unit, however, we'd recommend switching the feature off and logging in as usual. Units are available now from a variety of e-tailers starting at $379 (after mail-in rebate).
TruMedia says its facial-recognition billboards will never record video, it won't share with cops
Those billboards with facial-recognition-based tracking systems we mentioned last week caused quite a bit of consternation amongst those of us who value our privacy (read: everyone), but it at least one of the firms involved is engaging the debate and promising that it won't share any data it record. In a letter to the New York Times and a much longer, more boring version of the same letter sent to us, TruMedia Technologies says that none of its tech will ever record or store any video, only analyze frames and increment various demographic counters. TruMedia also says that no individually-identifiable information is ever stored, and that it'll never share any video or images with any private or governmental body. There's also mention of a standards body working to address methodologies and metrics for the tech. All excellent promises, sure, but we're never going to be entirely comfortable with this stuff, even if we live in an age of ubiquitous CCTV monitoring. Full letter after the break.
Scientists devise software that can interpret attractiveness
Believe it or not, this isn't the first time we've seen software created in order to determine whether a subject is drop-dead gorgeous, but scientists at Tel Aviv University have seemingly concocted a program of their own that can "interpret attractiveness in women." Before you ask, the researchers have yet to perfect the art of computing the beauty of males, but they're attributing said omission to the difficulty in "defining" attractiveness in dudes. Nevertheless, the software was purportedly able to reach nearly the same conclusion as humans about how lovely (or not) a hundred different ladies were, as it broke down features like face symmetry, smoothness of the skin and hair color. We're told the development could eventually be used in "plastic and reconstructive surgery and computer visualization programs," but c'mon, this is totally meant to automate the grueling Hot or Not process.[Via Physorg]
Your face is your password with Bioscrypt's VisionAccess 3D DeskCam
Being touted in what sounds like patent-speak as the "world's first 3D face recognition camera for use in authenticating individuals accessing a computer," security firm Bioscrypt Inc's upcoming VisionAccess 3D DeskCam promises to enable sub-second logins to applications, networks, and websites with just a quick glance at your ugly mug. The webcam-looking device (which we assume can also be used as an, um, webcam) looks for 40,000 identification points to verify authenticity, and is said to be capable of not just accounting for facial hair (or the lack thereof), but actually distinguishing between identical twins. That nose job you're planning, however, will require you to re-register. While the system -- which is scheduled to ship in the second half of the year -- sounds fairly promising and convenient, for safety's sake we'll be sticking with our trusty fingerprint scanners; after all, we still have seven fingers left, but only one head. [Via DailyTech]
Beauty-rating software could spell trouble for Hot or Not
Facial recognition software has been used in a smorgasbord of positive applications, aiding our soldiers in detecting baddies, keeping weirdos out of clubs, barring maniacs from entering football arenas, and even helping parents know when their infant is truly in a bad way, but the latest usage of the technology could indeed hurt the feelings of the less-than-attractive. A pair of controversy-lovin' Australian scientists have devised a software program that actually rates one's face "from one to ten" in terms of most ugly to most beautiful, and uses a sophisticated database of facial proportions borrowed from some 200 stunning women across the globe in order to give you a very honest answer when questioning your attractivity. Of course, we all know that real beauty lies within (right?), and if your idea of sexy doesn't match up with the generally accepted supermodel "look," the results could indeed conflict with your own beliefs. Currently, the program is designed to work solely with women, but adopting a male iteration could definitely be in the cards, and while we doubt this stuff would be particularly beneficial for your image-obsessed teen, it's primarily intended for use in the cosmetic surgery realm to judge just how effective that ridiculously expensive nose job really was.[Via Digg]
Australian scientists working on "suspicious behavior" monitoring
We've all heard of facial recognition software, that detects people against an image databse of known suspects, but what about software that checks against behavioral warning signs? Strange as it sounds, certain behaviors or body language can tip off a watchful eye, be it algorithm or a trained human. Australian scientists are working on automating this procress in software to track "inappropriate behavior" in public places, interpret that how you will. This, of course, is normally the work of trained officers, like the Nevada Highway Patrol officer who earlier this week unknowingly pulled over polygamist Warren Jeffs. The fugitive was then apprehended when the officer noticed Jeffs' carotid artery pulsating abnormally. Maybe a new Robocop isn't as far off as we might think, but we're all going to need some new gear as our pulsing carotid artery's already telling us the tin foil hats we've come to rely so heavily upon just ain't gonna cut it.[Via TechDirt]
"Shrug-detecting" software recognizes your disinterest
In another blundering step towards empowering our future robotic overlords with the ability to recognize when we're being insolent, a group of computer vision researchers at the University of Illinois have invented "shrug-detecting" software that allows a webcam-equipped computer to pick up on the subtle shoulder movements indicative of confusion or disinterest. The application works by looking for sudden movements of the target's shoulders towards his/her face, and is so sophisticated that it cannot be fooled even by covering one shoulder with a piece of paper, as the above picture helpfully illustrates. Future iterations of the technology could be used to detect blinking, hand movements, facial expressions, and other mood indicators, but for the sake of our enslaved decendents forced to toil in the silicon mines, we hope that they leave certain expressive gestures, such as the raising of the middle finger, out of the software's lexicon.[Via The Raw Feed]
Commercial Kodak scanner digitizes, tags old photos
In much the same way that Coinstar machines have revolutionized the way we deal with accumulated change, Kodak has unveiled a new commercial scanner that promises to batch-digitize stacks of old photos and assign them rudimentary chronological metadata. Introduced on the occasion of the EasyShare line's fifth birthday, the so-called "Scan the World" technology will be incorporated into modified check-scanning machines for initial deployment as stand-alone kiosks or behind the counter at drug stores, which can currently turn your bits into atoms, but not vice versa. According to Kodak, the scanners use software which is able to identify different photographic paper for estimating the decade in which the picture was shot, and can even group pictures featuring like individuals through facial recognition. Future versions of the application will also incorporate OCR capabilities for reading watermarks or handwritten notes on the back of photos, further improving the accuracy of the tagging engine.
J Allard: Caribbean Queen
Ever wonder what CliffyB would look like as a tennis-playing transsexual? The other day I ran across a facial recognition app that matches a picture of your face up to celebrities who supposedly look like you; useful for determining who should play who in the movie of your life. After spending an hour or so submitting friends and family, I moved on to gaming industry celebrities—with disturbing results: The marketing team at Microsoft has worked long and hard to transform Xbox guru J Allard from bloated regular nerd to skinny Matrix-esque nerd. Have their efforts paid off? I was sure Allard would come back with either Moby or Dr. Evil, but instead the software crossed the digital divide to dig up 80s pop has-been Billy Ocean, thus creating a bizarre link between the 360 and "Caribbean Queen." Pre-make-over J Allard, with his fatter cheeks and science teacher haircut could be mistaken for Tony Soprano in a pitch black room. But apparently Old Allard bares a mathematical resemblance to French President Jacque Chirac. Guess who's coming to dinner with Nintendo VP Reggie "Kicking ass and taking names" Fils-Aime? It's Sydney "They call me Mr. Tibbs" Poitier. I was impressed that Reggie scored the only Oscar winner. This one is by far the most troubling. With his boy band hair, delicate features and super geek success story, CliffyB is a hero to wannabe game designers and amateur gay porn stars everywhere. But how many vodka chasers do you have to swallow before mistaking this dude for Anna Kournikova? Oh God, check out the jaw line. It's freaky. For what it's worth, Ken Kutaragi matched up with the entire population of Japan. While I'm making fun of people who have a lot more money than me, I should mention (for the benefit of Kristin Kreuk and female Smallville fans everywhere) that I'm a dead ringer for Tom Welling. Email me. I have scientific proof.
