[From Step right up, let the computer look at your face and tell you your age and Physorg.com]
A press release from the University of Illinois focuses on smart cameras that can identify the approximate age of a person. The age recognition algorithms can estimate ages from 1 year to 93 years. The software’s accuracy ranges from about 50 percent when estimating ages to within 5 years, to more than 80 percent when estimating ages to within 10 years. The software consists of three parts: face detection, discriminative manifold learning, and multiple linear regression. The software was trained on a database of 1,600 faces, but a larger database can add more accuracy. The team was led by Thomas Huang.
The article lists a number of possible applications for this technique:
For example, age-recognition algorithms could stop underage drinkers from entering bars, prevent minors from purchasing tobacco products from vending machines, and deny children access to adult Web sites . . . . In addition to performing tasks such as security control and surveillance monitoring, age-estimation software also could be used for electronic customer relationship management. For example, a camera snapping photos of customers could collect demographic data – such as how many adult men and women buy burgers, or what percentage of teenagers purchase a particular soft drink. Or, combined with algorithms that identify a person’s sex, age-estimation software could help target specific audiences for specific advertisements. For example, a store display might advertise a new automobile or boat as a man walks by, or new clothing or cosmetics as a woman walks by.
Another research project mentioned at Physorg.com recognized six emotion states based on audio and visual data. The system could recognize happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust across cultures with a success rate of 82%.
The researchers’ system extracted a large number of vocal characteristics, such as “prosodic features,” which include the rhythm, intensity, rate, and frequency of speech. Facial features were extracted holistically. Then, the researchers trained the system on several short video samples of individuals showing different emotions, from which it connected certain features with emotions.
rshah Applications
[From 'Power shift' cuts overtime at emergency center :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES]
The OEMC has laid off 23 employees and 74 of the 131 vacant jobs are being permanently eliminated. The 311 center is losing 19 employees. The OEMC is also changing its shifts in response to issues with overtime:
The Chicago Sun-Times reported in February that a pair of police communications operators at the 911 center raked in $114,591 and $113,136 in overtime last year — double their annual salaries — raising renewed questions about staffing levels that were supposed to be resolved two years ago. On Monday, aldermen were told that the costly overtime problem was being resolved by having some employees work the 10-hour-a-day, four-day-a-week “power shift,” which overlaps with the standard eight-hour shift worked by others. . . . . A ten-hour-a-day “power shift” has cut out-of-control overtime at Chicago’s 911 emergency center by 20 percent, even though 131 vacancies remain, aldermen were told Monday.
The OEMC is also upgrading the work stations for 911 operators:
The upgrade calls for the city’s vast camera network to be integrated into each of the new work stations. When a 911 call comes in, the computer-aided dispatch will “poll the video network” to find and display cameras within 150 ft. of the address where the emergency occurred.
rshah Chicago
[From theNewspaper.com Photo Ticket Cameras to Track Drivers Nationwide]
The vendors of red light cameras and speed cameras are planning to add more features that expand the ability to track motorists. Redflex is planning to add OCR to their cameras in the next few months, which is also known as automatic license plate recognition technology. This could allow them to keep tabs on every car that passes through a particular intersection. “Imagine if you had 1500 or 2000 cameras out there that could look out for the partial plate or full plate number across the 21 states where we do business today,” Elsadek said. “This is the next step for our technology.”
The article also points out that these technologies can be abused. A recent example the article mentions:
In the past, police databases have been used to intimidate innocent motorists. An Edmonton, Canada police sergeant, for example, found himself outraged after he read columnist Kerry Diotte criticize his city’s photo radar operation in the Edmonton Sun newspaper. The sergeant looked up Diotte’s personal information, and, without the assistance of electronic scanners, ordered his subordinates to “be on the lookout” for Diotte’s BMW. Eventually a team of officers followed Diotte to a local bar where they hoped to trap the journalist and accuse him of driving under the influence of alcohol. Diotte took a cab home and the officers’ plan was exposed after tapes of radio traffic were leaked to the press. Police later cleared themselves of any serious wrong-doing following an extensive investigation.
rshah ALPR, Applications, Red Light Cameras, Traffic Congestion
[From Chicago Police Department POD Program]
The Chicago Police Department has put together a brochure on video surveillance in Chicago through the PODs (Police Observation Devices). Her is the PDF link. It offers some good background information, including details of the various generations of cameras that have been used. It also offers the well known statistics on the cameras.
In areas with the PODs, narcotic-related calls declined by 76%, serious index crimes declined by 17%, while non-index, quality-of-life crimes declined by 46%. This makes sense, since the cameras were being used a deterrent. Activity would be seen on the cameras and then officers would respond. But the rational response of a criminal is then to move beyond the scope of the camera. This is what happened. Narcotic-related arrests declined 3.3% on beats where PODs were located, but increased 151.7% on the beats immediately surrounding the POD beats. (I would also like to know if other crimes declined or increased on the beats surrounding the POD beats.) While the CPD touts this as a success, its a clear example of displacement, and undermines the usefulness of cameras to reduce crime.
I have been working hard to get more data on the effectiveness of the cameras in Chicago. Recent data on camera locations and crime activity is available from the CPD at their ClearMap site. I can’t figure out how to extract the data from the web site, it would be nice to have a google maps overlay with all the pods.
rshah Chicago
[From Google’s Photo Face Recognition is Wow Marketing - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com]
Google has introduced facial recognition software in its photo sharing site. With Picassa web albums, users can now tag photos by name. The software then looks at other pictures in your albums and finds matches using facial recognition software. Judging from the early feedback, it works pretty good. Here is some more info on the feature. The software was acquired from Neven Vision. Here is an explanation of the process:
As I was dutifully uploading my summer vacation photos last night, the Picasa site alerted me to this new feature, which was introduced Tuesday and lost in the noise about Google’s Chrome browser. I clicked a button that set some Google server farm looking closely at my stored photos (mainly of my two constantly preening daughters).
Just a few minutes later, it presented a cluster of photos of what the software assumed were of the same person. Indeed, they were all of my six-year-old, Daphne. I typed in her name. Then it presented another batch it thought were of Daphne. I could click to confirm. I could also uncheck some photos that were not her. It similarly offered clusters of photos of my other daughter, Clare, as well as my wife and other people who I tend to photograph.
rshah Applications, Facial Recognition
[From PhotoEnforced.com: Photo Enforced Parking Tickets Are Coming]
It looks like pictures are going to be taken of parking violators. No details on whether these pictures will be analyzed.
Here is a quote from photoenforced.com:
The Department of Revenue announced today that it will begin including pictures of certain parking ticket violations in notices mailed to registered owners. Parking tickets issued by the Department of Revenue will be supported by photos showing the violations.
The initial enforcement will include violations issued for missing, expired or improperly displayed license plates, city stickers, and residential parking permits. The photographs will be taken by camera-enabled handheld ticket issuance devices, and will be recorded at the time the tickets are issued.
rshah Chicago
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