Just a couple of years ago, the concept of facial recognition and its real-world applications was solely confined to the realms of dystopian science fiction. However, as technology progressed, this once alien idea managed to creep into our reality seamlessly and without much opposition.
Although many people around the world are voicing their concerns about this kind of software being used by public and private entities, the development of facial recognition cannot be halted.
Despite this technology’s potential to be misused and contribute to the violation of privacy in the increasingly tech-dependent world, its positive applications cannot be overlooked. Facial recognition can help with many tedious processes, including online payments, background checks and scans at airports and train stations, or fulfilling security clearance protocols.
A variety of companies are already competing in this relatively new field. If you want to get in on the action, you should know which facial recognition software best suits your needs. Check out this list of the most promising companies providing innovative solutions in this field.
FindFace
This particular software is one of the best options available for governmental agencies and private security firms. FindFace possesses impressive capabilities when it comes to scanning and identifying faces on a massive scale, without upper limits to the number of identifiable faces on the screen or camera images it can analyze at a time.
Combine the large-scale possibilities with an anti-spoofing algorithm that can differentiate a still image from a live face, and you will get the perfect partner for your front desk security agent or a much-needed enhancement to the standard TSA practices.
Luxand FaceSDK
With a much more limited scope of operation than FindFace, but significantly higher attention to detail, Luxand’s product will most likely find a loyal customer base in large corporations and scrupulous office managers.
Thanks to advanced live video recognition capabilities, FaceSDK performs exceptionally well during videoconferences as a means of checking employees’ presence and monitoring their engagement in the conversation.
Additionally, the software can also recognize emotions and facial expressions, such as smiles or flirtatious blinking. Although it may not have many business applications, this function can take a load off the human resources’ shoulders when investigating workplace misconduct.
SmartFace
This piece of software was produced by Innovatrics, a leading biometric technology company, whose products have been implemented by a variety of authorities, including airport security officials in Israel and police departments across Southeast Asia.
Innovatrics has a well-established background in security, and their facial recognition software is backed up by years of experience at the top of the industry. Among many other things, they produced ICAO compliant biometric passports and migrated hundreds of millions of fingerprint records to the digital sphere.
SmartFace’s services are particularly useful for large scale security implementations, thanks to its ability to scan and compare recognized faces with watchlists and send real-time alerts as it detects a match. It can prove to be an invaluable help for governments in tracking down wanted criminals and locating them in crowded and difficult to reach areas.
FaceFirst
As the newest product on this list, you might not find many aspects in which FaceFirst is better than its competitors. However, it deserves a spot simply because of its ambitions and dedication to accelerating technological progress.
In their own words, the firm seeks to “accelerate the world’s transition to digital identity” with the main goal being the replacement of plastic credit and ID cards, pin pads, and forgettable passwords, with a single digital ID containing all of your payment and identity information encoded in your face.
Although the FaceFirst project is still in its early stages, it’s definitely one to look out for, as it has the potential to fundamentally transform most of our daily activities.
The Bottom Line
Facial recognition software has come a long way since its first features in cheesy sci-fi flicks. Companies develop programs with specialized applications in mind, which leaves plenty of room for competition and various industries opting for different software types.
Ethical conundrums aside, facial recognition is shaping up to be one of the defining technologies of the 21st century. If you don’t want to lag behind the times, you should start thinking about how you can implement it in your line of work.
