How does facial recognition work ?

Facial recognition is one of the most controversial media technologies today. Yet it is used almost everywhere. But how does it work?

Definition of facial recognition 

Facial recognition is the process of recognising the human face using technology. A facial recognition system uses biometrics to reproduce facial features from a photograph or video. Facial recognition is one of the most controversial media technologies today. Visit the original site for more information.

How facial recognition works

You may be good at recognising faces. It is probably very easy for you to identify the face of a family member, friend or acquaintance. You know the features of their face - their eyes, nose, mouth - and how they combine.

This is how a facial recognition system works, but on a grander scale, that of algorithms. When you see a face, the recognition technology sees data. This data can be stored and accessed. For example, according to a Georgetown University study, half of American adults have their image stored in one or more facial recognition databases that law enforcement can access.

How does facial recognition work? 

Here are some steps to follow:

Step 1: An image of your face is captured from a photo or video. 

Step 2: Facial recognition software uses the distance between your eyes and the distance between your forehead and chin to build the geometry of your face. The software identifies the facial landmarks - one system has identified 68 - that are essential to distinguish your face. The result: your facial signature.

Step 3: Using a mathematical formula, your facial signature is compared to a database of known faces. And consider this: At least 117 million Americans have images of their faces in one or more police databases. According to a May 2018 report, the FBI had access to 412 million facial images for searches.

Step 4: A determination is made. Your face print may match an image in a facial recognition system's database.