It’s complicated to distinguish between fake and real smiles, but a research team has now created computer software that can point out false facial expressions.
Sometimes it may be challenging to distinguish between fake and real smiles. But a group of researchers has now developed computer software that can differentiate between true and false facial expressions. According to the study published in the journal Advanced Engineering Informatics, by analyzing the movement of the smile across a person's face, the software can determine whether or not the expression is genuine.
‘Techniques for assessing human facial expressions have advanced in leaps and bounds over the years, but differentiating between genuine and posed smiles remains a puzzle because we humans are not efficient at picking up the obvious clues.’
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The most significant movements detected by the software were around the eyes, supporting popular theories that a spontaneous, genuine smile is one that can be seen in a person's eyes. Read More..
"Techniques for analyzing human facial expressions have advanced dramatically in recent years, but distinguishing between genuine and posed smiles remains a challenge because humans are not good at picking up the relevant cues," said study lead author Hassan Ugail, Professor at the University of Bradford in the UK.
The software works by first mapping a person's face from within a video recording and identifying the mouth, cheeks, and eyes of the subject.
It then measures how these facial features move through the progress of the smile and calculate the differences in movement between the video clips showing real and fake smiles.
Researchers tested the program using two different data sets, one containing images of people expressing genuine smiles, and another in which the images portrayed posed smiles.
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"We use two main sets of muscles when we smile -- the zygomaticus major, which is responsible for the curling upwards of the mouth, and the orbicularis oculi, which causes crinkling around our eyes," Ugail said.
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"An objective way of analysing whether or not a smile is genuine could help us develop improved interactions between computers and humans -- for example in biometric identification," he added.
Source-IANS