The same day I saw Apple showcase Face ID at the Steve Jobs Theater in 2017, I headed north for a wireless trade show, where a vendor was showcasing a competitive version of the technology for licensing. Today, some Android providers have implemented Face ID style recognition, and Google has applied the radar to the task for the Pixel 4. But Apple’s implementation, although still imperfect, remains to be beaten.
A division of the German chemical giant BASF hopes to change this. Trinamix has developed an implementation of facial recognition that goes beyond Apple in that it is based not only on the shapes of the faces but on the detection of the living skin itself, thus thwarting even the most elaborate masks . The company does this through patented algorithms that process backscatter reflections that are unique to a wide range of materials, including living and dead skin. In a demonstration, the company shows two blocks of identical shape painted in the same Pantone color and how its technology can distinguish wood and plastics. The company says it can identify thousands of materials based on its process.
Usurping face detection with masks or deceased people does not seem to be a daily security concern for the vast majority of Android users abstaining from macabre Hollywood-style spying or criminal activity. Nevertheless, when combined with a high quality depth sensor / infrared projection system like the one Apple uses, although it offers an additional level of assurance, especially for phone manufacturers in economies where Apple may not have a strong presence.
This was a strong enough argument to convince Qualcomm to partner with the company to offer the technology as a competitive response to Face ID, which Apple is also said to be improving. In the case of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, hardware detection is performed on the Hexagon digital signal processor of the SoC. While Trinamix offers its own optical module for smartphones, its approach is based entirely on software. Therefore, for the cost (of course, not disclosed) of a license, it should be able to be implemented by a range of smartphone brands, regardless of the sensor providers they use. Trinamix plans to announce its first major licensee shortly.
PCs using Microsoft’s Hello Face based authentication would also be compatible with Trinamix technology. And material detection has applications beyond face detection, although, as with basic face detection based on 3D depth scanning, there are practical distance limitations. The company is highlighting scenarios that could, for example, help pick-and-pack warehouse robots better distinguish objects in bins with less precise placement than is sometimes required today. However, tapping into the giant smartphone market represents the greatest opportunity for Trinamix. Zombie pirates, consider a career change.
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The same day I saw Apple showcase Face ID at the Steve Jobs Theater in 2017, I headed north for a wireless trade show, where a vendor was showcasing a competitive version of the technology for licensing. Today, some Android providers have implemented Face ID style recognition, and Google has applied the radar to the task for the Pixel 4. But Apple’s implementation, although still imperfect, remains to be beaten.
A division of the German chemical giant BASF hopes to change this. Trinamix has developed an implementation of facial recognition that goes beyond Apple in that it is based not only on the shapes of the faces but on the detection of the living skin itself, thus thwarting even the most elaborate masks . The company does this through patented algorithms that process backscatter reflections that are unique to a wide range of materials, including living and dead skin. In a demonstration, the company shows two blocks of identical shape painted in the same Pantone color and how its technology can distinguish wood and plastics. The company says it can identify thousands of materials based on its process.
Usurping face detection with masks or deceased people does not seem to be a daily security concern for the vast majority of Android users abstaining from macabre Hollywood-style spying or criminal activity. Nevertheless, when combined with a high quality depth sensor / infrared projection system like the one Apple uses, although it offers an additional level of assurance, especially for phone manufacturers in economies where Apple may not have a strong presence.
This was a strong enough argument to convince Qualcomm to partner with the company to offer the technology as a competitive response to Face ID, which Apple is also said to be improving. In the case of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, hardware detection is performed on the Hexagon digital signal processor of the SoC. While Trinamix offers its own optical module for smartphones, its approach is based entirely on software. Therefore, for the cost (of course, not disclosed) of a license, it should be able to be implemented by a range of smartphone brands, regardless of the sensor providers they use. Trinamix plans to announce its first major licensee shortly.
PCs using Microsoft’s Hello Face based authentication would also be compatible with Trinamix technology. And material detection has applications beyond face detection, although, as with basic face detection based on 3D depth scanning, there are practical distance limitations. The company is highlighting scenarios that could, for example, help pick-and-pack warehouse robots better distinguish objects in bins with less precise placement than is sometimes required today. However, tapping into the giant smartphone market represents the greatest opportunity for Trinamix. Zombie pirates, consider a career change.
PREVIOUS AND RELATED COVERAGE
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Here are the rumors about upcoming iPhones.
Face ID is so good that you won’t miss the Home button
Removing the iPhone home button required some compromises, but the superior usability of Face ID sets a new standard for secure access.