New Facial Recognition Tech Tested on Michelangelo's David
A recent development in facial recognition technology has introduced a more compact and efficient system, tested on Michelangelo's iconic sculpture, David. This new method offers a lens-free alternative that utilizes less power without sacrificing image quality, compared to traditional 3D imaging technologies.
Typically, facial recognition systems rely on intricate components, including lasers, lenses, and diffractive optical elements (DOEs), to project a grid of infrared dots onto a subject's face. However, these setups can be bulky, which presents challenges for integration into smaller devices like smartphones.
The team led by Yu-Heng Hong, Hao-Chung Kuo, and Yao-Wei Huang aimed to revolutionize this process. They replaced the conventional dot projector with a low-energy laser paired with a flat gallium arsenide metasurface. The innovative design minimizes device size and energy usage by scattering laser light through a nanopillar pattern on the metasurface.
Their prototype projects over 45,700 infrared dots—surpassing the dot density of traditional systems—onto subjects, accurately identifying details by analyzing the pattern. During testing, this system successfully identified a replica of Michelangelo's David with remarkable precision, utilizing a fraction of the power and space needed by standard setups. More info: Wen-Cheng Hsu et al, Metasurface- and PCSEL-Based Structured Light for Monocular Depth Perception and Facial Recognition, Nano Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c05002
This advancement underscores the potential of metasurfaces in delivering efficient, compact imaging solutions applicable in facial recognition, robotics, and augmented reality platforms.
Luxand's FaceSDK brings cutting-edge innovation to facial recognition, much like the advanced tech recently tested on Michelangelo's David. Check out Luxand FaceSDK to see for yourself -> luxand.com/facesdk