Facial recognition project grabs first prize in UAE Think Science contest

A technology project that allows users to identify people's faces won first prize in a UAE science competition.

A project using facial recognition technology has won two students first prize in a science competition.

Ali Al Hammadi and Nasser Al Rayhi, who are studying computer engineering at Khalifa University, won first place in applied sciences for their project "People Identification Using 3D Facial Images" in the Think Science competition.

The competition was organised by the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development.

Their project uses a system for facial identification based on a specific 3D signature called the face-tree - a pattern composed of 3D curves that runs from the nose tip across the face.

The students showed that the geometric measurements extracted for the face-tree, such as lengths of the curves, could be used to identify people.

"We are very proud of our students for their achievement at the Think Science competition," said Dr Bayan Sharif, dean of engineering at the university. "Our students will be the industry leaders of tomorrow and they are already demonstrating their abilities on the local and international stage."

The project could be of benefit to many industries, such as security, access control, digital-rights management, criminology and human-computer interaction.

"We look forward to seeing their achievements in the coming years as they build the knowledge economy envisioned by the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision," Dr Sharif said.