New facial recognition tech won't be fooled by masks, hi-res photos, or 3D-printed faces

New facial recognition tech won't be fooled by masks, hi-res photos, or 3D-printed faces
A photo illustration.
PHOTO: AFP

trinamiX GmbH announced it has joined the Qualcomm Software Accelerator Program to enable its patented technology in 3D imaging and infrared sensing technologies to be used across mobile devices as the new gold-standard for facial recognition.

This will allow Qualcomm OEM partners to use trinamiX's proprietary 'Beam Profile Analysis' technology, which extracts three data streams from a single camera system: a 2D IR image, a 3D depth map, and material classification, as the security solution in their mobile devices.

The material classification is accomplished through trinamiX proprietary algorithms that run on the Qualcomm Hexagon Processor on Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platforms.

This ability to classify and identify materials based on their physical properties as a result of trinamiX research and development while operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of chemical company BASF SE.

Through this new approach to security, it is now possible to combine standard facial-recognition algorithms from any 3rd party with the ability to sense 'live skin'.

Crucially, this means phones can no longer be fooled into unlocking via a mask, a high-resolution print or even a 3D rendering of the rightful owner's facial features.

Dr. Ingmar Bruder, Managing Director and founder of trinamiX said:

"Using our patented 3D imaging technology, mobile devices powered by the Hexagon Processor inside Snapdragon mobile platforms can achieve a previously unattainable goal - the ability to sense live skin as part of a secure facial recognition."

Qualcomm also announced their own increased security solution in their Snapdragon processors last year at their Snapdragon Tech Summit.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.

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