Face Detection vs. Facial Recognition

March 20, 2012
The difference between face detection analytics and facial recognition biometrics

Face Detection vs. Facial Recognition

Face detection is anonymous by definition. The software discerns a “human form” by focusing upon distinct facial features to return a quantitative determination of gender, age bracket and ethnic origin. No attempt is made to obtain a positive identification of the person within the visible field. The digital image is not matched against a database of known individuals. It is simply a data collection device that smart marketing folks are leveraging to obtain a higher advertising “cost per thousand” fee from advertisers hoping to use the data to obtain increased sales via conversion and brand loyalty.

In contrast to face detection is the science of facial recognition. This software solution concentrates on making a positive identification of the individual against a database that archives personal information. Confidence factor is a key metric to avoid improper identification.