Face recognition is emerging as an enhanced method for human security. It minimizes the use of magnetic keycards or other record-keeping gateways, thus reducing the burden of having to possess additional cards or similar keys to be used at entrance checks. To streamline such a methodology, Kvarnbrink et al. present a case study finding solutions to face recognition privacy issues.

The authors present a case study of a face recognition system installed at one of Europe’s biggest indoor training facilities, IKSU. They propose replacing magnetic keycards at the gate system with a more sophisticated face recognition system. The system comprises a 3D-Kinect camera, a video camera, and a screen connected to a computer with face recognition modules. The Kinect detects an object in front of the gate (assuming it is a person with head positioned at the top) and sends an image to the screen displaying a solid orange silhouette. The system uses the coordinates of the head region and size to detect the face of a person, enabling the face recognition module to find a similar face in the database. The color of the silhouette changes from orange to solid green to indicate that the person is known, and the system allows him or her pass through the gate.

In the experimental setup, the authors conducted interviews and surveys in the summer of 2012 at IKSU’s sporting center in Umea, Sweden, with a capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 daily visitors. The study divided the user flow into steps: pre-indication, instruction, interaction, feedback, and action. It included 120 people categorized as receptionists, members, instructors, and other staff. The authors report identification issues with the recognition and verification of a person through the system. They also focus on getting prior permissions and clearance from state organizations, regarding this as an important detail for fine-tuning the development cycle and the system.

The authors stress the need for an efficient, easy-to-use, and friendly face recognition system. A brief video of the system in action is available on the publisher’s site: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2468356.2468772.