Needless to say, facial recognition has become more popular and widespread, with applications in various fields. The most important component in facial recognition is the camera, which should be selected and installed properly to achieve maximal results.
Needless to say,
facial recognition has become more popular and widespread, with applications in various fields. The most important component in facial recognition is the camera, which should be selected and installed properly to achieve maximal results.
Deployment of facial recognition has been increasing at steady rates. According to a recent study by MarketsandMarkets, the global facial recognition market is expected to grow from US$3.2 billion in 2019 to $7 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 16.6 percent during the forecast period.
Among the
various components in facial recognition, perhaps the most important one is the
camera, which captures the face. An algorithm then is used to create a face print, which is then matched against a database of stored images.
Facial recognition algorithms are
software, which can be inside the camera or on a backend server. It’s important to note that the camera is simply a capturing tool. “Primarily, a camera is just an end device. Instead, look at what is connected to the camera and how that information is being processed. Facial recognition is more of a software thing. The camera gathers the facial information, sends it to a computer to be processed, and an access control decision is made. All information is gathered on the camera, but it has to be processed somewhere,” said Dominic Burns, President and CEO of
AC Technical Systems, a systems integrator based in Ontario, Canada.
Camera selection and installation
When selecting the camera, there are certain things to consider, among which are resolution and lighting, Burns said.
“It is important to look at the megapixels of a camera, though it has become less important as camera megapixels have increased. Depending on the environment and distance, you can use as low as a 2MP cameras, or as high as a 5MP camera,” he said. “Lighting is also important, which is one of the determining factors in the manufacturer we choose. Some cameras allow users to adjust the iris of the camera, in turn giving the user flexibility to let in more or less light depending on conditions and time of day. Customization is key when it comes to camera choice.”
Further, the reputation of the manufacturer needs to be considered. “We tend to stick with manufacturers who have a reputation for reliability. In turn, we experience few service issues and the end user saves money overall. Ultimately selecting cameras is a personal choice, and if you find a camera brand that works for your business, stick to it,” Burns said.
As for installation, some important tips to remember include its placement as well las the lighting conditions. “Cameras should be installed at a few different heights within the door frame for maximum effectiveness. Even then, it is not a perfect science – everyone has a different height. People may need to duck down, or stand up taller to access the reader,” Burns said.
Needless to say, facial recognition creates privacy issues, which cause some users to hesitate about whether to install it. “Customer buy-in is the most difficult part of installing a facial recognition system. Though the technology has been around for some time, it is just beginning to be implemented on a larger scale, and people fear the unknown,” Burns said. “Users see movies such as
Star Wars and think their facial recognition data will be used for purposes other than access control. In all reality, carrying around an identification card with your picture on it is no different than facial recognition technology -- your photo resides in a database somewhere.”