Apple wins patent on 3D object-recognition Technology.

Apple wins patent on 3D object-recognition technology http://t.co/1rg8SO3I

Apparently one of the patents Apple acquired when they purchased Polar Rose last year.

The USPTO has awarded Apple a patent on 3D object-recognition technology that goes well beyond the current face recognition already included in apps such as iPhoto and the iOS 5 camera application, allowing a device to “build” a 3D face or object by analyzing the curves, contours and shadows of a 2D image. Such technology would give Kinect-like detection and recognition capabilities to cameras such as those found in iOS and Mac devices.

The technique could be used, for example, to create biometric logins that only unlocked the device when the owner was identified (though as with other such techniques, keeping the device able to distinguish the actual owner versus a picture of the owner would be the key to real security). It could also be used to automatically take and upload timed pictures of users who were not the owner, or lock out machines when the owner’s face was not detected. Apple mentions also being able to identify persons who are not aware that they are being recognized.

Those who know me will realize that I’m thinking of how we can apply this technology to production metadata. Facial identification is a powerful tool if it’s accurate, and the ability to recognize more objects will give us even more metadata to feed into identifying and editing algorithms.