Face Scanner | A Necessary Tool for Businesses to Ensure Streamlined Onboarding
Author: admin | 15 Jan 2024In This Post
The era of innovation has brought businesses new methods in every aspect. In terms of identity verification, the facial recognition scanner is the main highlight of the modern world, which eliminates the need for physical touchpoints and verifies the person on the go. With the introduction of 3D scanners, firms can now rely on these solutions to accurately differentiate between people. Using a 3D face scanner, businesses can now create custom rules for verification that help in the precision and speed of the system. In 2020, the global market of 3d scanning was recorded at $14.2 billion. Now, the number is much higher due to widespread adoption across businesses.
This article will discuss the operation of the Face 3D scanner, explaining how it works and which industries can incorporate this piece of tech into their systems.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding the process of 3D face scanning and differentiating between 2D and 3D facial recognition technology.
- Exploring the working and operation of 3D face scanners to produce accurate results for reliable facial verification.
- Navigating the use case scenarios for 3D face scanners across multiple sectors, understanding how they can help businesses.
What is a Face 3D Scanner?
Face recognition has two types: 2D and 3D face scanning. In two-dimensional scanning, the system works by comparing images of the face taken at different angles. The technology in 2D face scanning is comparatively old and offers less accuracy than 3D face scanners.
3D scanning is a technology that accurately captures the shape and appearance of human body parts or objects and turns them into a three-dimensional digital twin. Traditionally, this technology was attached to 3D face scanner sensors like laser or structured light scanners. However, with the advancements in smartphone capabilities and techniques like LiDAR and photogrammetry, 3D scanning can now be conveniently done using smartphones.
3D scanning finds applications in various fields such as healthcare industry, fashion, luxury goods, art, and culture. With the help of a smartphone equipped with 3D scanning software, brands, manufacturers, and health professionals can effortlessly generate high-quality scans of the human body in real time. This opens up new possibilities for creating personalised products and services.
How Does a 3D Face Scanner Work?
A 3D face scanner works by mapping out a three-dimensional structure of the human face. Here are the 3 key steps involved in 3D face scanning:
Landmark Scanning
It’s essential to establish specific reference points for a precise 3D face scan. One common approach involves using the ears as landmarks and circling the scanner around the head. With clear guidance, carrying out the process can become manageable. Other prominent facial landmarks include eyes, nose, lips and forehead, which help the face scanner online to output results accurately.
Face Movement
After detecting all the prominent landmarks of the face, the system asks the user to move the face at different angles to capture a full 3D map of the whole face. This is why modern mobile phone devices ask you to tilt the head in various directions when scanning. The face movement helps the 3D face scanner enhance accuracy.
Facial Data Analysis
In the last step of 3D face scanning, the face scanner solution extracts all the features to perform a depth analysis. It marks all the landmarks as nodes and mathematically calculates the distance between each node to accurately store data in the system. Later on, it compares the same data to distinguish between faces and upon a successful match, it verifies the face. The 3D face scanner performs this whole process in connection with the backend face recognition solution and provides real-time results.
Use Cases of 3D Face Scanners
Face scanners have several use cases and are widely acceptable across different industries. For instance, face unlocking, fraud detection, identity verification and personalised recommendations.
Airports
Airports use multiple 3D face scanner systems to verify passengers’ identity. It is a convenient solution as it significantly reduces the time. Multiple government departments in the US employ this technology to identify individuals who have exceeded their visa stay or are subjects of criminal investigations. Certain airlines have also implemented facial scanning at departure gates. The passengers can confirm their identity using facial scans for boarding, eliminating the need to scan their passports.
Cellphones
The smartphone industry is indeed becoming the top consumer of face scanner systems. The evolving face scan technology is replacing fingerprint sensors within mobile phones, and a major example of this is Apple. The tech giant introduced facial recognition as a means to unlock its main products and access the digital wallet. The company has since incorporated this technology into subsequent models. According to the market trends, the likelihood of someone else’s face accidentally unlocking your smartphone is approximately one in a million, thanks to a 3D facial recognition scanner.
Social Media
Social media controls the digital world as it is becoming a medium of communication, collaboration and even business trade. It is important to incorporate necessary biometric systems into social media networks and 3D face scanners are a significant part of it. This is the reason why almost all prominent social media networks are asking for proof of identity. Meta, Twitter and other platforms need proper verification proofs to verify their users.
They use an algorithm to detect faces when you upload a photo onto its platform. The social media company prompts users to tag individuals in their photos, creating links to their profiles if accepted. Another prominent example of face recognition is an auto-tagging system that many users experience when browsing social media. It automatically detects the person in the image and tags their profile to it.
How Facia Can Help
A 3D face scanner is key to complete the face recognition process. Overall, it is a valuable tool for businesses that enables them to verify customers, investors, stakeholders and all other entities involved. At Facia, we use sophisticated 3D face scanners to create a state-of-the-art face verification solution which is easy to use and very difficult to breach. We offer a free demo to businesses that need a facial verification system across their organizations. Contact us now to get the most accurate and fully compliant 3D face scanner solution for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
A face scan uses technology to analyze facial features for various purposes such as identification, security checks, or unlocking devices. It captures the unique geometry of a face, converting it into data that can be matched against a database or used to authenticate a person's identity.
The cost of a face scan depends on the technology and application. Consumer-grade systems, like those found in smartphones, typically range from $100 to $300 for the entire device. Professional-grade systems used in security or health sectors are more expensive, due to the sophisticated hardware and software involved.
Face scans are generally safe as they are non-invasive and do not involve radiation exposure. However, there are privacy concerns regarding how facial data is stored and used, highlighting the need for strict data protection measures.
Detecting AI-generated faces involves looking for inconsistencies that are not typical of human faces, such as asymmetrical features, unnatural skin textures, or distorted areas where facial features meet. Tools and software are being developed to help spot these signs more effectively.
Dedicated face scanner hardware can achieve very high accuracy, often exceeding 99% in controlled environments. Advancements in smartphone cameras and facial recognition software have also yielded impressive results, with accuracy reaching 90% or more under good lighting conditions.
Face scan technology is used across industries for identity verification:
- Healthcare: Patient identification and access control in hospitals.
- Law enforcement: Security checks at airports or border crossings.
- Cybersecurity: Protecting access to devices and sensitive information.
