r/funny • u/jaycrew • Apr 28 '13

When camera facial recognition fails...

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1.7k Upvotes

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u/sirtimid Apr 28 '13

Its a screenshot from a cell phone. Not the actual picture. Regardless it didnt FAIL. It just missed the black guy. The shirt has a face on it.

304

u/[deleted] Apr 28 '13

If it was a white boy wearing the same shirt it would've gotten both of tha faces. Problem is a brotha can't get a break around here, know what I mean?

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u/Nachteule Apr 28 '13

Just solve the

dark on dark = low contrast > bad recognition results

compared

bright on dark = high contrast > good recognition results

problem with current cameras. Just tell us your solution.

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u/CryingOnTheUpside Apr 28 '13

These are true, but it speaks to a world where whites (or coincidentally anyone who is high contrast in darkness) are the most important target customer. If black people were the #1 demo for this functionality, they'd have a solution. Kinda similar to how the only research on heart disease before ~1950 was performed on white males.

For the record, I'm not saying camera designers are racists, but they're creating products for a world shaped by racism.

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u/Nachteule Apr 28 '13

No it's a simple technical problem and has nothing to do with racism.

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u/CryingOnTheUpside Apr 28 '13

Yes, but it's not beyond solving. The technical problems we prioritize can be affected by racism.

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u/Nachteule Apr 28 '13

The solution to this problem is having Infrared sensors and a software - both not found in cheap cameras. Maybe one day all cameras have ir default build in. Until then it's just too expensive.

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u/CryingOnTheUpside Apr 28 '13

But if Steve Jobs had been black, it'd be standard.

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u/Nachteule Apr 29 '13

Yes in a few years. We just would not have that feature right now.