On a Friday evening, a man is approaching his car after a hard-working day. He doesn’t need to unlock it; the car detects and lets him in; the engine is ready to go. He is entering the building with the doors opening automatically and is going to the elevator.
The moment he is in, the elevator starts going up, it knows the floor. The apartment door welcomes him and opens even before he starts thinking about the keys.
The phone and the laptop detect its owner and don’t require any password authentication. Social networks, banks, shops recognize their customers.
No, it’s not a dream! The first steps to this user-oriented, hyper-personalized reality have already been made. A technology to identify a person, his preferences, and patterns, opens a window of opportunities for both users and businesses.
Let’s dig deeper into the technologies, commonly known as face detection and face recognition, which are all set to transform the lives of our favorite generation, Alpha!
Face Detection vs. Face Recognition
First thing first, let's deal with the notions surrounding face detection and face recognition technologies. Even though they are commonly misinterpreted, and the terms often used interchangeably, these are not the same.
Face detection technology allows differentiating a human face from other objects. It implements algorithms to detect a human face based on a pattern, starting with eyes detection, eyebrows, and nose, ending with detecting the whole face.
Face detection is anonymous by nature, as it relies on a pattern-based algorithm. Face detection is basically answering the “yes/no” question: Is there a human face or not?
Face recognition goes a step further. Being a part of biorecognition, face recognition uses biometric technology. The face recognition technology is about matching the face with the image in the trained database, establishing whose face it is. It is similar to fingerprint matching, as the scanned fingerprint is matched with the ones in the database and then linked to the person. Including face detection, capture, and match, face recognition technology is the most important application of face detection technology.
Opting for Face Recognition Technology
Face detection and face recognition technologies are not new at all. In the long 1960s, Woodrow Wilson Bledsoe introduced a system that allowed classifying photos of faces manually. He used the RAND tablet to create a grid to coordinate facial features. These metrics were later recorded in the database. A new photograph of a person was compared to the database, and the identity was defined.
With the core principles remaining the same, technology has become more complicated and advanced, implementing smarter, remarkably effective algorithms. Two factors are reshaping facial recognition; the science of deep-learning and, thanks to cloud computing, an ability to store a huge glut of data.
Today’s facial-recognition technology is strengthened with AI, making it smarter, faster, and able to detect and identify a person from different angles. It can even predict behavior!
You can gauge the popularity of the face recognition technology by the sheer number of software in the market, developed for this. The technology is in high demand, no doubt. Apart from the commercial ones, there are numerous free and open-source face detection software solutions also available and performing very well. You can find many more, and check their details, and reviews on GoodFirms.
Benefits of Face Recognition Technology
So, let’s see the several benefits of face recognition technology that are making it popular among businesses and their users.
Contactless Interaction with Devices
Facial recognition technology allows contactless interaction with devices. The brightest example would be unlocking your mobile phone with your face, rather than your fingerprint, or paying in the store only by looking at the device.
Quick & Accurate Verification
With the consistently expanding demand for speed and the increasing number of cyber-attacks, it becomes vital to have a quick and accurate innovation. Facial-recognition provides reliable and speedy verification for many reasons, should it be in the bank or the customs.
High-Level Security
This technology enhances safety, granting access to buildings or information to only defined individuals, and flagging unwanted guests. Passwords that can be easily stolen are not required anymore. Face recognition technology is difficult to fool, and so it helps to prevent fraud. It’s especially relevant in industries that deal with highly sensitive information.
Already in the Market
Dealing with face recognition technology, there is no need to be an innovator or an early adopter, taking all the associated risks. Even though it is yet to hit the massive adoption phase, it already has distinctive applications in various fields. One can leverage this situation to their advantage and be the first to implement it in their business to gain a unique competitive advantage.
Better Personalization
Face recognition technology can not only define who the person is, but what are their behavior patterns, and traits, resulting in better services. For instance, you are the owner of a restaurant. With face recognition technology, you know names, tastes, allergies, table preferences, etc., the moment your guests enter your restaurant. Thus, the waiters can offer guests more personalized service even if they are visiting the place for the first time.
Consumer Surveys
This technology goes beyond linking the face of a person to their name, defining your customer demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, etc.). Thus, it’s becoming easier and more cost-efficient to collect and process data to make consumer surveys and better understand your target audience.
Any technology is evolving faster than legislation that supports it. Thus, today, there is no one single legal position about how to collect and process data, received by face recognition technology. This uncertainty leads to either poor regulation or banning.
Recently in San Francisco, the use of face recognition technology by all agencies and by the police was banned, even though this technology helped to identify a suspect in the mass shooting.
With technology getting more popular, there will be more crafted regulations and guidance on how not to cross the line between data collection and privacy concerns.
It is crucial for companies using face recognition to notify the customers before collecting their data and using face recognition technology. They should also ask for the user’s consent to ensure that he is willing to give his/her information.
Face Recognition Use Cases
Face recognition is altering business models, and the way users interact with their devices, offering the new user experience and enhancing the personalization. It is already reshaping the social sphere, retail, tourism, fintech, security, healthcare, police, and other industries.
Governmental institutions were among the first who leveraged face recognition to ensure safety. With cameras located around the city, and on the highways, it became easier and faster to detect law violations and identify the culprits.
This idea was caught up by retailers, who implemented face recognition to deal with shoplifters. Safety again, but this time the safety of the goods, rather than people.
Such tech giants as Google and Facebook were also at the forefront of face recognition technology.
In 2014 Facebook launched, a technology called DeepFace, that could identify if two faces belonged to the same person with an accuracy rate of more than 97% (the same as humans). In 2015, Google introduced its FaceNet program with 100% accuracy.
Presently Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft are the leaders in this industry. It is possible as they are using top technology and they also have access to the largest databases of faces. Startups are also tipping in to find a niche in the growing market.
Valued at $4.51 billion in 2018, the market is estimated to reach $ 9.06 billion in 2024, at CAGR of 12.5% over only six years.
Investors are already expressing their strong interest in this technology. Spacetime and Face++ are both unicorns from China and focus on face recognition technology.
According to CB Insights, they were valued at $4.5 billion and $1 billion respectfully. They are at the top of the list of well-funded companies backed by governmental and private investments.
Although the sector is in its early stages, there are a lot of industries that are already implementing face recognition. Let’s take a closer look.
| Sr. | Industry/ Sector | Objective | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social sector | to entertain users | Snapchat with its filters Facebook’s DeepFace algorithm CelebsLike.Me Google’s Art Selfie Apple’s Animoji and Memoji |
| 2 | Law enforcement and security | to detect fraud and ensure security | Trueface.AI Karios SenseTime Face++ CloudWal applications to control access to sensitive locations like labs, governmental institutions, etc. China is leading in this niche with over 170 million cameras installed ( most of them are equipped with face recognition). |
| 3 | Healthcare | to help diagnose illnesses, improve medical adherence | Autism & Beyond app AiCure EPAT |
| 4 | Retail | to identify a shopper, offer better user experience, detect shoplifters, make payments | JD stores in China identify users the moment they enter the store. Walmart is testing solutions by FaceFirst to identify shoplifters. Smashbox and Modiface collect data to offer a better, more personalized shopping experience. 7-Eleven store in Tokyo is testing payment with a face. |
| 5 | Hospitality | to speed up check-ins | Marriott hotels in China have kiosks, where a guest can check in with their face. |
| 6 | Marketing and advertising | to show relevant advertising, serve better ads according to the mood, collect data | Almax, an Italian company puts mannequins to scan the faces of users. Facedeals offers target advertising in the store. |
| 7 | Banking | to identify a user, to make banking more secure | HSBC and Singapore’s OCBC are using facial biometrics to login to mobile banking accounts. CaixaBank is using this technology at its ATMs. MasterCard verifies identity with recognition technology when entering the mobile app. |
| 8 | Events | to guarantee security | Japan is aimed to use face recognition technology to boost security during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. |
| 9 | Air Travel | to streamline the boarding process | JetBlue, Delta airlines are testing this technology. Dubai Airport is currently testing facial recognition. Changi Airport’s T4 terminal already allows travelers to check-in for flights themselves. |
| 10 | Automotive industry | to access the car, to analyze the driver’s behavior | Hyundai displayed this technology in the self-driving car during CES. |
| 11 | Consumer Electronics | to unlock devices, give, help disabled | Microsoft, Samsung, and Apple are already using this technology to access electronic devices, e.g., Apple X unlocking features. HiMirror - a tech-savvy mirror, that gives beauty advice, based on your face. OrCam helps blind or partially sighted people identify faces among other objects. Listerine introduced the app that helps blind people detect if a person is smiling at them, alerting them with a vibration. |
| 12 | Restaurants | to offer better service, to pay for the meal, to track employee performance | CaliBurger in California uses face recognition to offer its guests special discounts and their order history. In Chinese KFC, customers can pay for their meal with a smile. At McDonald’s restaurants in Japan, face recognition is used to detect employees that are underperforming (not smiling enough), and inform workers with the notification: “Your smiley-face is below standard.” |
| 13 | Sharing Economy | to increase trust | In Singapore, a ride-sharing company Grab implemented face recognition technology to identify both drivers and users. |
Many companies have already implemented face recognition technology, making it a part of our everyday life. The top face detection software solutions are helping businesses integrate this technology for the betterment of their applications. Those who are integrating facial recognition technology are gaining an additional advantage over their competitors.
Technology is maturing, but it is not perfect yet. There are still problems to identify people within various nationalities and ethnic groups.
The algorithms are being trained, and it’s only a matter of time for face recognition to advance. Once it reaches perfection and decreases amounts of false positives, it will cost much more to enter the “red ocean”.
Wrapping Up - The Future is Here
People are already using face detection technology by unlocking the phone or transacting with just a face scan. And what’s more important, it has already become a new reality. Most use cases are dominated by governmental institutions.
Though massive adoption isn’t reached, the trend is set. More use cases in various business niches are popping up. And it is a great thing, as it offers more business opportunities and interesting use cases.
The technology is amazing, and you can’t ignore it now! It is time to try the best face recognition software such as Vision Insight, Deep Vision, FaceFirst, DeepFace, EverAI, and many more. Or, if you have already used one, do post a review!
By implementing facial recognition technology into the daily use devices, personalization, better services, and value will be woven more deeply into the day-to-day life.
Unless your business is already using it, its time to jump in the bandwagon and benefit from the uprising face recognition technology.
