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facial recognition [message #548031] Mon, 19 March 2012 21:53 Go to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
Senior Member
I was watching a recent episode of "60 Minutes" where they talked about something called facial blindness, where people with extreme cases of it can't recognize the faces of family members or even themselves in the mirror. I found it particularly interesting because I have always had trouble recognizing people when they were someplace other than where I was accustomed to seeing them. I need to see not just the face, but the hair, the body, the walk, the voice, typical clothes, and so on. I have also noticed that every time I change my hairstyle, some people have trouble recognizing me. I did a little internet search and stumbled upon a little facial recognition test:

http://www.faceblind.org/facetests/ff/ff_intro.php

It shows you faces of 30 famous people, one at a time, and gives you your score at the end. I thought it was kind of fun and it confirmed my suspicions that I am not good at facial recognition, probably have a mild case of facial blindness, as I only scored 28%.

When last I worked for the data systems bureau of a law enforcement agency, they had begun using facial recognition programs on computers. They had standardized booking photos and lineup photos, so that they used the same background, same lighting, same distance from the camera, same height. The programs would measure everything from a central point between the eyes and compare. They were trying to do things like compare suspect drawings to a database of booking photos, realizing that there are a lot of repeat offenders out there.

For those of you that watch the television program "Person of Interest", the technology exists, so it is just a question of using it to the maximum extent. If you can program a computer to do something, it will usually do it faster and better than a human.





Re: facial recognition [message #548032 is a reply to message #548031] Mon, 19 March 2012 22:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BlackSwan
Messages: 26766
Registered: January 2009
Location: SoCal
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Barbara,
THANKS for the URL.
I saw the same show last night.
My new Android 4 tablet can supposedly lock using only the built in camera to unlock it.
I have not been willing to try it, in case I would lock out myself.
I hope to be able to do a real world test in a week or so.
Re: facial recognition [message #548033 is a reply to message #548032] Mon, 19 March 2012 22:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
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There was another episode of "60 Minutes" some time ago that dealt with unauthorized remote activation of cell phone cameras and webcams and such. My cell phone doesn't have a camera and I use a very low-tech but extremely effective method of disabling my webcam by placing a piece of black electrical tape across the lens.

Re: facial recognition [message #548068 is a reply to message #548033] Tue, 20 March 2012 03:03 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
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Registered: June 2005
Location: Croatia, Europe
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79% here.

Which is a surprise, as I consider myself exactly what Barbara has said: I have always had trouble recognizing people when they were someplace other than where I was accustomed to seeing them. It happens rather frequently; I meet people (usually older than I am) who ask me how am I doing, how are my parents, but I don't have a slightest idea of who they are. It is not that THEY are wrong - no, they know my name so it must be me.

Something similar happened to my neighbor (Mr. M) (he'll soon be 80, so no wonder); he was shopping but forgot the money. Another neighbor offered to pay his bill - how nice of him. Then Mr. M returned home, said what happened and went to return the money back to the neighbor. The problem was that he couldn't remember who he exactly was. They would benefit from H. Poirot's detecting capabilities ... it took a day or two, but finally they found the culprit.
Re: facial recognition [message #548134 is a reply to message #548031] Tue, 20 March 2012 08:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
joy_division
Messages: 4963
Registered: February 2005
Location: East Coast USA
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Great link!

I got 24 out of 30.

I knew the ones I didn't get, just not enough hair in the photo.

I would also say Littlefoot, I think 3 or 4 of those faces, although very recognizable in the USA, would be trouble for those outside the USA (Jerry Seinfled, John Travolta and one or two others).
Re: facial recognition [message #548152 is a reply to message #548134] Tue, 20 March 2012 09:37 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
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Location: Croatia, Europe
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I failed on Oprah (though it was one of recent music stars!), Nixon (I still wouldn't recognize his face, completely unknown to me), Seinfeld (there was his show on our TV, but I didn't watch it), de Niro (de Niro? No way!), McCartney (though it was Elvis!) and ... huh, can't remember any more.

Travolta is easily recognizable by chin dimple.
Re: facial recognition [message #548156 is a reply to message #548134] Tue, 20 March 2012 09:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
John Watson
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Registered: January 2010
Location: Global Village
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14%. No comment needed.

On a related topic, a fact I came across on a job not so long ago was that any CCTV security camera installed in the last few years (and there are millions of them) is capable of doing facial recognition. The camera that photographs your number plate when you enter a car park is also be able to identify you when you walk out. It is just a matter of licensing the software.

Does that make you feel paranoid?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcSC0B6lbFg
Re: facial recognition [message #548189 is a reply to message #548156] Tue, 20 March 2012 12:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
Senior Member
John Watson wrote on Tue, 20 March 2012 07:47


Does that make you feel paranoid?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcSC0B6lbFg


Shifting from facial recognition to lyric recognition, I have always had trouble identifying the words to a lot of songs when they are sung. Nowadays we can conveniently look up the lyrics on the internet:

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/black+sabbath/paranoid_20019415.html

Of course that eliminates all of the fun discussions with your friends where you all get together and try to figure them out.
Re: facial recognition [message #548206 is a reply to message #548189] Tue, 20 March 2012 15:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
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Location: Croatia, Europe
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Oh? That's a surprise! I thought that you, native speakers, don't have such problems. We used to do the same - listen to the music, trying to write lyrics down. If there were 5 of us, you'd get 5 different versions. Then we said that you must be very lucky as you understand these songs perfectly. Apparently not. (Do I feel better now? Sure I do! Not.)
Re: facial recognition [message #548367 is a reply to message #548189] Wed, 21 March 2012 10:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
c_stenersen
Messages: 255
Registered: August 2007
Senior Member
Yes, sometimes after I read the lyrics I'm thinking "aaah, it's so obvious". But then for others I'm still thinking that it doesn't sound like that's what they are singing at all. Anyone with the same feeling?
Re: facial recognition [message #548601 is a reply to message #548367] Fri, 23 March 2012 07:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ThomasG
Messages: 3211
Registered: April 2005
Location: Heilbronn, Germany
Senior Member
67% on the faces here. And I also always knew I had problems recognizing people by face alone.

And *then* of course the additional problem that even if I recognize who they are and where I have met them before I still can't remember the name. /forum/fa/7257/0/

And there is a whole selection of "misheard lyrics" out there.

As non-native speakers we have the *additional* fun of hearing something in our language when they sing in English. That phenomenon even has it's own name now in German: "Agathe Bauer" Songs. (Which is a somewhat old-fashioned German name that can be heard when they sing "I got he power".
Re: facial recognition [message #548609 is a reply to message #548601] Fri, 23 March 2012 08:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
c_stenersen
Messages: 255
Registered: August 2007
Senior Member
Well I guess this is one of the legendary ones Smile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxRUsCS3kOs
Re: facial recognition [message #548617 is a reply to message #548609] Fri, 23 March 2012 10:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
John Watson
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Registered: January 2010
Location: Global Village
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Many English speaking schoolkids are under the impression that God's name is actually Harold. As in "Our father, who art in heaven, Harold be thy name". Further evidence for this is "Jesus H. Christ".
Re: facial recognition [message #548631 is a reply to message #548617] Fri, 23 March 2012 12:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
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According to the Christmas carol Joy to the World, "the Lord is come".

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/unaccusative-verbs.aspx
Re: facial recognition [message #548659 is a reply to message #548631] Fri, 23 March 2012 19:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rleishman
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Registered: October 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Senior Member
21 out of 29. Although I'm familiar with Condaleeza Rice's name, I don't know what she looks like even with hair. She doesn't get a lot of airplay here.

Australia's contribution to indecipherable song lyrics is James Reyne. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIsCmP6ngjY
And yes, before you ask, he is singing in English
Re: facial recognition [message #549253 is a reply to message #548659] Thu, 29 March 2012 02:56 Go to previous message
dude4084
Messages: 222
Registered: March 2005
Location: Mux
Senior Member
And Yes it is a problem for me as i have many many circles.
1) Student life Circle
2) Business Circle
3) Software Circle
4) Relatives Circle
5) Friends Circle

56% is my score as i recgnize 9 out of 16 familiar even though i live in Aasia.
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