Face Recognition App Development: How to Make Facial Recognition Software?

Discovering the capabilities of face recognition technology and app development. What wins – ethical biases or the potential of the software? Today, we’ll find out. 

Facial recognition technology (FRT) refers to biometric security to identify people in real time through smartphones or surveillance devices. Face recognition app development has been around us many decades. The technology has become more widespread thanks to AI, processing enormous amounts of data. What about the global facial recognition market? What is the application and strength of the FRT, and what says statistics – we’re going shortly to examine.

The software appears in many industries, including retail, transportation, healthcare, banking, and finance. The stats ensure 47% reduction in crime when security cameras are visible. But the opposite effect is that being watched changes our behavior. Being under constant surveillance may decrease trust between people and governments, thus resulting in fear of something happening to them or their families. Despite controversies, we can’t ignore that technology evolves quickly, and the facial recognition market is projected to reach $12.67 billion by 2028. The only concern is if face recognition technology is about security or intruding on our privacy rights. In our guide, we define the functionality of the FRT, examine practical use cases, discuss steps on how to make facial recognition software, and present the tools for FRT implementation. 

What Is A Face Recognition App?

Numerous surveillance devices surround us – do we consider their purpose and who’s behind the screen of these devices? Thinking that these are only ordinary cameras, we can underestimate the world of fast-growing technologies.

A face recognition app is only one of the ways how the FRT works. A face recognition app is a user-facing interface allowing users to interact with face recognition functionality. When using deep neural networks and machine learning techniques, the app identifies and verifies the individuals’ facial features on certain parameters. It recognizes, analyzes, and matches the images with stored or reference data for access control, user verification and authentication, and surveillance in smartphones or online platforms. A probability of a random person unlocking your iPhone via Face ID is ~1 in 1M. So, in what way does a facial recognition system operate?

In What Way Does an Image or Facial Recognition System Operate?

In the days when technology is intertwined with our routine activities, facial recognition continues to become a more pervasive innovation. From unlocking our phones with a glance to strengthening security measures, the technology is used almost in every field we work with.

The facial recognition system works in three main steps: detection, analysis, and recognition.

Facial recognition systems detect facial data in front and side face profiles by processing biometric markers on our faces, like the eye width or gap between eyes, nose, and lips. Then, an algorithm creates a map of our face by collecting all the measurements of our face features. Enabled by computer vision and AI, the data includes a variety of forms, from single images to views from multiple cameras and three-dimensional data. Then, the facial recognition system analyses all the geometry of your face meaning the contour of the chin, lips, eyes, shapes, and distance between different face metrics. After analysis, the system converts this data into a string of numbers or points called a facial signature. Facial recognition then identifies a person by comparing their faces from different sources and finding a match between a selfie, document (passport or driver’s license), and previously captured face collection.

Although facial recognition systems show high accuracy (up to 99.97%), they raise doubts about transparent data storage, use, and protection. The technology works well in certain conditions, but factors like lighting conditions, image quality, pose variations, and occlusions cause challenges for the algorithms to give accurate results. In addition, the rapid increase in this technology has become hugely divisive. While police and law enforcements state the software is used in favor of security, there’s much left to discover concerning its transparency. Critics determine key ethical concerns related to the system, including racial bias, privacy, lack of informed consent, mass surveillance, data leaks, and inefficient legal support, which we’ll mention later.  

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Build a Face Recognition Software

Nothing can go wrong without troubles, but precise planning and systematic attention to critical aspects will help you be consistent while building face recognition software.

How to make face recognition software? Let’s define the key steps.

#1 Define the purpose, scope, and use cases

Without defining the purpose, you can’t predict the scope of the app. Similarly, you can’t expect use cases relevant to your target audience without identifying specific scenarios. 

#2 Gather training data and check it for accuracy

Face recognition app development requires more effort than any other app. You should ensure your software can handle a dataset of facial images of diverse demographics and lighting conditions. At this stage, you should define factors that cause biases in certain cases and train your software to gain accurate results.

#3 Select facial recognition algorithm

After determining the desired use cases and the challenges you need to address, you should research available algorithms. Some popular algorithms include Fisherfaces, Local Binary Patterns, and Eigenfaces. Analyze their capabilities, performance metrics, and behavior in different scenarios. Another important point is that other algorithms may excel with different datasets. So, evaluating the algorithms’ compatibility with your datasets, such as large-scale or datasets with specific characteristics like occlusions or lightning conditions, will help you get the desired results. Tests and iterations are the best solutions letting you find the algorithm that best meets your requirements.

#4 Implement preprocessing techniques

Preprocessing techniques are necessary to achieve accuracy and transparency in software results. Before the face images are taken into the recognition algorithms, these preprocessing techniques incorporate the manipulation and preparation of the images. Preprocessing prepares the images for later analysis. Some common techniques you should regard involve face detection, alignment, noise reduction, illumination correction, and feature extraction. Before implementing these techniques, please select the most suitable ones for your use cases. You can choose the libraries for their implementation and test the impact of preprocessing on the performance of your software. 

#5 Train and tune the recognition model

This step is necessary for the performance of your software. Analyze the results of testing and identify the areas for improvement. To enhance the robustness of your software, you should continuously iterate and refine it. Only by testing and tuning recognition models, adjusting needed parameters, selecting alternative algorithms, or implementing extra techniques will you enhance your software’s reliability and demand. 

#6 Remember privacy, security, and ethical considerations

To implement data privacy in your face recognition software, you must ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations such as GDPR or CCPA. Try to provide transparency where the data will be used and stored. Employing encryption techniques, secure servers, and access controls will help your software safeguard the datasets of face images. At the training stage mentioned above, try to ensure diverse datasets to minimize possible biased results. Following at least these several pieces of advice, you can promote the responsible and ethical use of face recognition technology while safeguarding the privacy and rights of people.

Face recognition mobile app development isn’t easy since it requires a strong foundation in computer vision techniques, AI algorithms, and image processing. However, with an experienced company, development isn’t impossible. Address the dedicated specialists who can care about precise data collection and preparation, algorithms selection and optimization, hardware and performance optimization, and ethical considerations.  

How to Create a Face Recognition App: Top Tools

Making your software a custom solution? Or simplifying the face recognition app development using solutions with ready-to-use face recognition algorithms, pre-trained models, and other critical features? Both options are good and worthwhile. Above, we mention the required steps for the first solution. Now, we can make our development easier and review the top reliable tools and frameworks to streamline the development life cycle. 

OpenCV

Although Open Source Computer Vision Library is old, it’s one of the most popular open-source computer vision real-time libraries. It provides various modules and functions for numerous purposes:

• face detection, recognition, and tracking with use cases such as 2D and 3D feature toolkits;
• facial recognition apps;
• gesture recognition;
• motion understanding;
• human-computer interaction;
• object detection and segmentation. 

The library supports programming languages like Python, C++, and Java, making it highly versatile and widely used in the face recognition domain.

Dlib

Dlib is a powerful C++ library offering comprehensive tools for machine learning, image processing, and facial analysis. It includes face detection and recognition algorithms that can be integrated into your app. Dlib also detects facial landmarks, enabling you to identify specific facial features.

Microsoft Azure Face API

Microsoft Azure Face API is a cloud-based service involving face detection, recognition, and analysis capabilities. It provides a RESTful API allowing developers to integrate face recognition functionality into their apps easily. Azure Face API offers features like face detection, face verification, emotion detection, and age estimation. The API simplifies the complex tasks involved in face detection, identification, and analysis, allowing developers to focus on creating innovative solutions without the need for extensive expertise in computer vision algorithms.

PyTorch

PyTorch is another widely adopted open-source deep learning framework. It provides a flexible and intuitive interface for building neural networks and conducting machine-learning tasks. PyTorch’s extensive pre-trained models, such as VGGFace and Face Alignment Networks, can be used for face recognition app development. These models include model definitions for the following tasks:

• image classification;
• semantic segmentation;
• object detection;
• instance segmentation;
• person keypoint detection;
• video classification;
• optical flow.

Based on the training dataset, these pre-trained models may have specific licenses or terms of use. 

Amazon Rekognition

Amazon Rekognition is an AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud-based image and video analysis service. It includes powerful face recognition capabilities that can be used to build face recognition apps. Amazon Rekognition API offers features like face detection, face comparison, and facial attribute analysis.

Which option to select? Developing a custom solution or using existing tools to build the software? First, you should evaluate the requirements for the face recognition software. Consider if existing frameworks and tools can meet your needs or if your software requires custom functionality unavailable on the market. Secondly, note your time constraints for development. A custom solution requires more time and resources compared to pre-existing solutions. Thirdly, focus on the project team’s expertise and resources. Custom development is worthwhile if the team has in-depth knowledge and skills in machine learning, computer vision, AI, and algorithms. Finally, assess cost considerations for both solutions and select the relevant ones for your case. On the one hand, custom development is more expensive due to the additional time, resources, and expertise required. On the other hand, using existing frameworks and tools may involve licensing fees or subscription costs, depending on the solution.

Practical Uses of Face Recognition Software

Facial recognition technology facilitates many daily tasks in diverse verticals, including finance and banking, hospitality, healthcare, retail, and other sectors. In this section, get familiar with the most practical use cases where the technology is applied.

Access control spreading at diverse facilities 

Commercial buildings, offices, and corporate environments

There is no need to provide the staff with a physical access card or key fobs. Integration of facial recognition systems with entry points through simple face scanning can reduce unauthorized entry.

Residential complexes

Implementation of the face recognition system at entry gates or lobby areas is a convenient and secure solution. The software allows people to enter the premises without needing to search for keys or access cards.

Public facilities 

Face recognition system increases security level and simplifies verification of the individuals entering these facilities. So, only authorized personnel gain access to the institutions. 

Educational institutions

Schools, colleges, and universities are also institutions that aren’t deprived of the rights for face recognition systems. The security of students is far enhanced through the FRT.

Healthcare patient identification 

Face recognition lays a good ground for a personalized experience. It frees hospital workers and patients from paperwork, thus preventing human errors. It efficiently verifies patients’ check-in and insurance data and speeds up the admission process. Also, it’s a good solution to allow medical workers not to accompany people entering and leaving the hospitals, thus decreasing security threats. 

In healthcare, face recognition software can be linked with other complementary technologies to get better patient insights like detecting pain, identifying early symptoms of some diseases, and monitoring well-being. The research shows that in 96 percent of cases, the blend of face recognition technology and AI helped to define the diagnosis of the condition. This percentage suggests that no matter what our prejudice about technology is, we shouldn’t underestimate it.  

Public monitoring and safety

The software can detect threatening behavior patterns in a crowd and alert security personnel to act timely. It can significantly help them to analyze and match surveillance videos or images and link them to criminal cases. 

Financial and banking security

Facial recognition software provides a seamless customer experience. Key applications of the technology find themselves in the following activities:

• biometric authentication for banking transactions and access to sensitive information;
• identity verification for customers by matching their live photos and ones from their official documents;
• fraud prevention through the recognition of suspicious patterns and unauthorized account access attempts;
• secure ATM transactions, a solution allowing clients to perform diverse banking transactions by scanning their faces;
• security in bank branches and vaults through monitoring access and restricting access for unauthorized individuals. 

Facial emotion recognition

Another practical use case is connected with recognizing facial emotions. It seems there is nothing special about this technology. But emotion detection is important in different industries since people tend to make mistakes and lose the ability to think hard. Instead, with the combination of facial emotion recognition, AI can extract all possible factors from the database and analyze the emotions without being guided by its own feelings because it doesn’t have them. This is a difference between a machine and a human.

Emotion recognition is critical in the next cases:

• in crime detection;
• in public facilities like airports;
• in education to check the student’s level of engagement;
• in healthcare to identify people in need of assistance.

The application fields are vast, and implementing the technology with necessity and proportionality evaluation for each case can make the results more accurate.

The list of use cases can go on and on. But from the samples mentioned above, we see that all use cases are related to security and data protection. Since privacy, data protection, and consent are critical considerations in many sectors, implementing face recognition software is a practical technology that simplifies and controls processes. 

Estimating the Cost of Developing Face Recognition Software

The cost of developing face recognition software can vary based on several factors. These factors include the complexity of your requirements, the scope of the project, the level of customization, the size and experience of the development team, and the development time. Custom face recognition software development is typically a complex and resource-intensive process involving data collection, algorithm development, training and fine-tuning models, and integration with existing systems. All these factors also contribute to the overall cost.

The pricing for the development starts from $20K but remember it’s an approximate one since we recommend you consult with us to determine the specific cost for your project. We’ll assess your requirements, provide an estimation based on the scope of work, and consider other project-specific factors. It’s important to note that face recognition software development is an investment, and the cost should be evaluated alongside the potential benefits and value it can bring to your business or application. 

Conclusion

Building face recognition software is a complex development requiring expertise and careful consideration of various factors. A comprehensive planning, tech expertise, and systematic development approach are what you need to develop a top digital product. If you have some ideas or concerns, you can trust them us. We’re always here to respond to your queries. Partnering with an experienced web development company saves you much time and allows you to tackle the complexities of this technology. Our team is dedicated to providing customized solutions that align with each client’s unique needs, from implementing advanced algorithms and seamless integrations to addressing security concerns. 

FAQs

What is the best facial recognition software?

It would be easier to provide a precise answer if you named at least the key functions you want to view in your software. Also, it’s hard to select only one best facial recognition software because there are many of them in the market.

So, let’s present at least the top 5 free softwares in the market worth our attention, including Ageitgey/face_recognition, CompreFace, FaceNet, DeepFace, and InsightFace-REST. However, they’re the free versions, and you should consider some nuances. For instance, some of them, including Ageitgey/face_recognition and FaceNet, don’t provide REST API, while Deepface and InsightFace are actively updating, aiming to provide only convenient and easily scalable REST API.

Apart from the open-source versions, it’s good to mention 5 popular paid software, including Amazon Rekognition, Deep Vision AI, FaceFirst, Face++, and FaceX. These softwares are similar in their services but differ in their pricing plans. Most of these tools offer services from emotion recognition, landmark detection, age estimation, and gender recognition. But if you’re interested in their cost, you can find the actual info on their site. 

Is facial recognition ethical technology?

In our guide, we present many practical use cases of this technology. Although its implementation raises some ethical concerns, the positive side is here. You can develop facial recognition responsibly by following strict regulations and guidelines. Knowing the ethical side of the development, you can solve these concerns accordingly, thus minimizing potential data collection, retention, and accountability risks. When developing the software, you should consider the privacy factor so as not to intrude on people’s privacy without their consent or knowledge.

Another key point is getting informed consent from people before using their facial data. This issue is optional since not all sectors should ensure transparent disclosure of data use. But consider this point, and if it’s relevant in your case, think about the transparency of the data use. To prevent any harm to people data, you should care about the storage and security of face recognition data from unauthorized access, leaks, and misuse. By following these tips, you can develop custom face recognition software or use the existing one more responsibly and ethically.

How to develop face recognition software?

Face recognition app development incorporates several key steps. The prime objective is to train the software algorithms to provide accurate results. Before developing, you should review the scope and purpose and identify use cases relevant to your target audience. Then, you need to collect a diverse dataset of faces to train the algorithms. You should also ensure that your software can cope with various datasets of diverse demographics and features like lighting conditions. At this stage, you should define factors that may cause biases in certain conditions and train your software to gain accurate results. Also, choose the practical preprocessing techniques we discuss in our guide and ensure the software provides consistent facial detection and recognition. Remember to analyze the results and identify the areas for improvement. It’ll enhance the robustness, reliability, and demand for your software. Finally, ensure your software follows ethical guidelines, addresses privacy concerns, and complies with relevant data protection regulations such as GDPR or CCPA.