Some technology takes a long time to catch on. Virtual reality is a great example. It fizzled out before it really started years ago. Every so often it makes a comeback, but most of us still don’t embrace it. Biometric security is another example. Maybe that will change when we all have computers that read lips to identify us.
With each year that goes by, we all store more and more of our lives on our smartphones and computers. With all the problems surrounding identity theft, stolen devices, hacking and phishing schemes, I’m surprised we haven’t embraced biometric security more.
Perhaps it’s because the tech isn’t advanced enough to depend on yet. Although I have to admit, Facebook’s facial recognition is very impressive with its incredibly high rate of accuracy. Biometric security includes a lot more than just facial recognition though. There’s also fingerprint recognition, voice recognition, hand geometry, eye scans…and now lip-reading.
Apparently the way a person’s lips move are almost as identifying as their fingerprints. If our computers and smartphones could read lips, it would be yet another way it could identify us.
According to Ahmad Hassanat, an assistant professor and researcher at Mutah University, it is possible to use lip-reading as another option for biometric security. He has successfully used this “visual password” to unlock devices (with 80% accuracy). You can click over to the IJSBAR (International Journal of Sciences, Basic and Applied Research) to read more about Ahmad’s research.
If you want your devices to read lips, don’t get your hopes up yet. This technology needs to develop further before it can be useful on a grand scale. Right now, the accuracy is still a bit too low. Several variables such as poor lighting or even braces could make the system unable to read lips accurately. However, it is conceivable that someday in the future we might all have lip-reading computers.
Just remember not to talk with food in you mouth, or you might get locked out of your computer.
Source: New Scientist
Photo credit: Erica
Lip−reading computers unlock with a word
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