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Thermal imaging facial recognition system recognizes faces in the dark

Updated: Feb 20, 2021



This technology is most popularly used by Armed forces, especially US army have done a significant advancements for recognizing faces in the dark. Their analysts have created an artificial intelligence and machine learning technique that produces a visible face image from a thermal image of a person's face captured in low-light or nighttime conditions. This improvement seem lead to improved real-time biometrics and post-mission forensic analysis for covert nighttime operations.

Thermal cameras like FLIR, sensors are actively deployed on aerial and ground vehicles, in watch towers and at check points for surveillance purposes. More recently, thermal cameras are becoming available for use as body-worn cameras. The ability to perform automatic face recognition at nighttime using such thermal cameras is beneficial for informing a Soldier that an individual is someone of interest, like someone who may be on a watch list.

As part of the COVID-19 response, the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force, Program Executive Office Soldier and the C5ISR Center of U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command led the initiative to use thermal-imaging devices to screen for potentially elevated body temperatures of personnel entering military facilities.

These stand-off thermal imaging capabilities provide significant advantages over hand-held thermometers as they provide a safe distance between the operators and subjects, and require less manpower. The technology, which does not require physical contact, processes information quickly, allowing a faster flow of traffic into buildings and facilities. Screening only takes a few seconds to measure temperature at a distance of 6-to-8 feet using a forward looking infrared sensor mounted on a tripod. If an elevated temperature is detected, individuals receive a secondary screening with a non-contact forehead thermometer. If a secondary screening confirms an elevated temperature, the individual will be encouraged to seek further screening with a medical provider.





A self-service or interactive terminal equipped with thermal imaging sensors will provide significant advantages over hand-held thermometers as they provide a safe distance between the operators and subjects, and require less manpower. The technology, which does not require physical contact, processes information quickly, allowing a faster flow of traffic into buildings and facilities. Screening only takes a few seconds to measure temperature at short or long range using a forward looking infrared sensor mounted on a kiosk. If an elevated temperature is detected, the system alerts security personnel so that individuals are escorted to the containment area. If a secondary screening confirms an elevated temperature, the individual will be verified against their ID and encouraged to seek further screening with a medical provider.


Facedapter's API will automatically screen the temperature and identify visible images of travelers on passports using thermal imaging cameras.






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