Face recognition tech to beef up law enforcement

Local law enforcement officials are now looking into possible applications for the FaceIt Face Recognition Technology, an award-winning facial recognition software engine.

This is another example of the government’s drive in utilizing cutting-edge technologies to improve public safety and security.

FaceIt is an example of biometric technology that uses computerized methods for automatically recognizing a person based on a physical trait or attribute. It is the most widely deployed facial recognition engine in the world today.

The FaceIt engine has six basic capabilities:

* Face detection. It automatically captures a face in complex scenes without the subject’s participation. Even with multiple faces around, the latest software can easily detect a face in a crowd;

* Segmentation – automatically extracts faces from the background;

* Tracking – follows faces over time;

* Faceprint coding – generates digital code or internal template unique to an individual and invariant under viewing conditions – known as FID or Faceprint;

* Verification – one-to-one matching; and

* Identification – one-to-many matching.

The FaceIt engine uses an advanced technology called Local Feature Analysis (LFA). Unlike other competing technologies, LFA is insensitive to races or ethnic groups, variations in posing, and changes in lighting. The engine also ignores superficial changes in a person’s appearance such as moustache, hair, skin color and aging.

The size of a FaceIt template can be as small as 84 bytes, and a cold search from memory can do a one-to-many match at a speed of 60 million comparisons per minute using a standard Pentium III-800 PC.

FaceIt presents a new paradigm in security. It is non-intrusive, meaning the subject need not do anything, nor even be aware that he is being subject to an intensive security check.

The system can tap into existing closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance systems and perform a real-time search against a gallery of known undesirables (hijackers, terrorists and other known criminals). Database creation and integration is also easier since most existing computerized systems already have an existing database of photographs.

FaceIt is now being utilized by major airports and border patrols around the world for immigration purposes to help track down and capture illegal aliens, hijackers, terrorists and other known criminals.

The new FaceIt Face Recognition Technology is being distributed in the Philippines by Mega Data Corp., the systems integration arm of the Mega Group of Computer Companies.

Mega Data is one of the pioneer systems integrators in the country, and has been the prime computerization contractor for the National Bureau of Investigation since 1977.