Facial recognition is already widely deployed in commercial applications. Yet increasingly, it’s also finding its way into the home, where users can enjoy its various benefits.
Facial recognition is already widely deployed in commercial applications. Yet increasingly, it’s also finding its way into the home, where users can enjoy its various benefits. This article examines
facial recognition applications in the home and key concerns expressed by users, based on a whitepaper by Parks Associates.
Facial recognition has become a popular means for security and access control. It works by way of extracting a person’s face vector and matching it against the database. The technology is already heavily used in commercial applications, including enterprise,
law enforcement and smart manufacturing.
Yet its benefits are increasingly realized by home users as well. In particular, facial recognition can play an important role in home security. According to Parks Associates in its whitepaper: “Face Recognition and the Smart Home: Applications, Demand, and Innovation,” homeowners attach great importance to these features in their home security systems:
• Detection of a stranger near the home (86 percent);
• Distinguishing people from moving objects to reduce false alerts (84 percent);
• Identifying security and safety-related sounds (84 percent);
• Sending alerts when an object has been moved or removed from view (83 percent);
• The ability to identify types of objects, such as packages, plants, newspapers, etc. (78 percent);
• The ability to identify known persons from strangers (76 percent).
A lot of these requirements can be met with facial recognition. “Smart home security systems equipped with face recognition technology can seamlessly arm and disarm when a household member arrives or leaves a property and can alert a household member when an unauthorized individual is present on the property. This system can also identify familiar or friendly faces and let the user know if someone they know is on the property or at the door. The system can also ignore known people in the home so that owners are not inundated with useless alerts when family members come and go,” the whitepaper said.
User experience
Aside from security, facial recognition can also enhance the home experience. In particular, the technology can be used to trigger other smart home devices once the user enters the home. According to the whitepaper, examples include the following:
• Adjusting the temperature or lighting to a specific user when they enter the room;
• Auto-unlock doors as users approach;
• Seamlessly set a detected user’s preferred audio and visual entertainment settings;
• Auto-login into their profiles on streaming accounts;
• Remind specific users of calendar events;
• Identify and allow access to authorized individuals while denying access to others;
• Identify familiar guests from strangers on a user’s property;
• Monitor the safety and well-being of home members, such as older adults, children, or disabled individuals, by detecting falls or other accidents and alerting caregivers or emergency services.
Privacy concerns
Yet there are certain barriers that keep facial recognition from further adoption at the home. One of them is concerns for privacy. According to the whitepaper, 62 percent of consumers feel it is impossible to keep data completely private; 55 percent of consumers are very concerned about their personal data security; and 49 percent of consumer report experiencing at least one data/security privacy problem.
“Consumers are justified in their concerns, as nearly half reported experiencing at least one data security or privacy problem. The implications of data security are even more critical when applied to
biometric data (for example face recognition, fingerprints, and iris scans) because biometric data is unique and cannot be altered. Once biometric data has been compromised, it cannot simply be changed like a password, making the potential consequences much more significant,” the paper said.
As for how privacy issues can be mitigated, the paper cites stricter regulation as a solution, referring to the state of Illinois as an example. “Regulations play a crucial role in mitigating these risks and ensuring that individuals’ biometric data is protected. In Illinois, several major lawsuits have occurred since the passing of its Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), and with damages calculated at $1,000 for each violation (increasing to $5,000 if the violation is judged intentional or reckless), costs can increase quickly and exponentially,” it said.
Outlook bright
Facial recognition in home applications has continued to gain traction. This is in part driven by the fact face recognition technology will be pervasive in video devices in the years to come. According to Parks Associates, if face recognition features follow the same path as prior video analytics innovations, these solutions will be in most new video devices by 2025. It is therefore expected that, if privacy and other concerns can be properly addressed, facial recognition in the home will see further demand and growth down the road.
“In the security and smart home space, consumers will value face recognition technology for the peace of mind and convenience it can deliver, provided their privacy and personal data are secured. As with many emerging technologies, face recognition technology brings privacy and security concerns that the industry needs to address, but these challenges can be overcome. Companies can take the necessary steps to ensure user data is respected and protected while delivering the full value of these solutions to consumers,” the whitepaper concludes