Highly Accurate and Fast Face Recognition Using Near Infrared Images

In this paper, we present a highly accurate, realtime face recognition system for cooperative user applications. The novelties are: (1) a novel design of camera hardware, and (2) a learning based procedure for effective face and eye detection and recognition with the resulting imagery. The hardware minimizes environmental lighting and delivers face images with frontal lighting. This avoids many problems in subsequent face processing to a great extent. The face detection and recognition algorithms are based on a local feature representation. Statistical learning is applied to learn most effective features and classifiers for building face detection and recognition engines. The novel imaging system and the detection and recognition engines are integrated into a powerful face recognition system. Evaluated in real-world user scenario, a condition that is harder than a technology evaluation such as Face Recognition Vendor Tests (FRVT), the system has demonstrated excellent accuracy, speed and usability.