Facial recognition software will identify and verify the person in the cropped image. At this stage, the system processes the facial attributes from the image and compares them with the enrolled images in the database. Searching for the closest matching images is then carried out to identify the most matching face. In the phase of facial verification, the procedure will be reduced to a minimum number of images (2–3), and the system will attach the image with the most matching ID in the database. If the system can't find a matching ID, then it will be marked as unknown.

6 best applications of facial recognition technology

1.Face recognition attendance and access system

A facial recognition access control system is the best choice to eliminate common touchpoints and reduce the time spent on attendance punching devices. Facial recognition streamlines the process of punching; it just needs to see a person's face to authenticate him. Thus, businesses can reduce the long queues in front of offices for punching and saves employees' productive hours.

The same approach can use with access control for office entry and security wallets. Employee time tracking and monitoring applications started utilizing facial recognition APIs to monitor employees working at home.

2.Surveillance for Law and enforcement agencies

Law enforcement and investigative agencies employ face recognition technologies to hunt down criminals, find missing people, and identify offenders. Such agencies use more sophisticated facial recognition API and face comparing systems with CCTV cameras employed at public places. These face recognition APIs can recognize moving people from live video footage.

Security agencies all around the globe are on the verge of deploying face recognition technology at airports, railway stations, major market areas, and other high-security locations. The facial recognition network will be connected to the agency's database that helps search for people in the database. Several organizations have successfully used a face recognition network to locate missing people and criminals.

3.Airport immigration check

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards have made facial recognition the primary biometric passenger verification technology used in immigration inspections and airport boarding. The facial ID of the passenger will be stored in the chip inside the E-passport. At immigration, passengers have to show their E-passport and face the immigration check. The face recognition camera at the immigration check will authenticate the person with the passport within less time. Technology has proven that it can considerably reduce the queues at immigration.

Similarly, facial recognition is used instead of the boarding pass. While booking a ticket, passengers can enroll with their faces at the airport kiosk. Then the passenger may show their face as ID at various gates.

4.Healthcare sector

Facial recognition is used in the healthcare sector for two applications: patient registration for electronic health records (EHR) and patient monitoring. Hospitals can use facial biometrics along with other biometric modalities to register a patient on the EHR. The EHR consists of all the medical data and history of a patient for the ease of doctors to start diagnosis and start medical procedures fast.

Advanced facial recognition APIs are capable of reading emotions from a person's face. A facial recognition camera used to monitor each patient can read behavioral and emotional changes from a person's face. The doctor or concerned medical official will get informed regarding any change in the physical or emotional state of a patient from which doctors may assume the criticality of the patient. The emotional state may also manifest in the person experiencing pain, hunger, breathing issues, and so on.

5.Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI)

BFSI leverages biometrics to authenticate customers for online and offline transactions. Banks use face recognition alongside passwords or PINs as a multifactorial authentication method to authorize a person for transactions. Apart from authenticating a person for transactions, face recognition can be used to verify documents presented by customers are correct. Suppose a fraudster walks into a bank with fake documents with real customer details, seeking loans or withdrawals. The bank can easily find out if the guy is a fraudster while doing the facial recognition.

Facial recognition can also secure ATM transactions and protect them from ATM fraudsters. Such a system can ban a fraudster or criminal from using ATMs. If the banking network is banned from using ATMs, it won't give access to such people. Also, the system will inform banks and police regarding the presence of banned people in the ATM.

6.Retail industry

Facial recognition is employed at retail stores for a couple of applications: payment transactions, extended customer service, and for targeted marketing. An in-store face recognition technology may identify people entering the shop and notify store employees. The alert message may include the customer's name, preferences, and offers that he may be interested in. As a result, the storekeepers can provide the greatest services to the consumer. The same system will also recognize fraudsters who don't pay bills regularly or steal groceries. In addition, the system may alert police authorities regarding the presence of criminals or ongoing crime automatically.

In-store facial recognition helps retail stores conduct targeted marketing. The face recognition system identifies regular customers and their preferences to send messages regarding new offers and stock availability. When consumers arrive at the shop, the system sends notifications to their phones informing them of the items and offers they might be interested in, as well as the area where they can find them.

Endnote

The aforementioned are some of the applications of facial recognition systems that may change the norms of ordinary people. Facial recognition APIs have evolved to identify people who are wearing masks or cosmetics. That will help further in deploying face recognition systems at high-security areas like airports, train stations, defence buildings, etc.