Face recognition is a biometric identification technology based on face feature information. A series of related technologies, usually called portrait recognition and face recognition, are used to collect images or video streams containing faces, automatically detect and track faces in images, and then recognize the detected faces.
The research of face recognition system began in 1960s, and was improved with the development of computer technology and optical imaging technology after 1980s, but it really entered the primary application stage in the late 1990s, which was mainly realized by technologies from the United States, Germany and Japan. The key to the success of face recognition system lies in whether it has the most advanced core algorithm and makes the recognition result have practical recognition rate and speed; "Face recognition system" integrates artificial intelligence, machine recognition, machine learning, model theory, expert system, video image processing and other professional technologies. At the same time, it is necessary to combine the theory and implementation of median processing. This is the latest application of biometrics. The realization of its core technology shows the transformation from weak artificial intelligence to strong artificial intelligence.
The traditional face recognition technology is mainly based on visible light images, which is also a familiar recognition method and has been developed for more than 30 years. However, this method has insurmountable defects, especially when the ambient illumination changes, the recognition effect will drop sharply, which can not meet the needs of the actual system. There are three-dimensional image face recognition and thermal imaging face recognition to solve the illumination problem. However, these two technologies are far from mature, and the recognition effect is not satisfactory.
A rapidly developing solution is multi-light source face recognition technology based on active near-infrared images. It can overcome the influence of light change and achieve excellent recognition performance. The overall system performance exceeds that of 3D face recognition in accuracy, stability and speed. This technology has developed rapidly in recent two or three years, which makes face recognition technology gradually practical.