A university teacher in China is trying to use facial biometrics technology to track boredom among his students, according to an article by Neil Connor in The Telegraph.
As Connor reports, the teacher, Wei Xiaoyong, actually started using facial recognition technology in the classroom five years ago, as a more effective means of tracking student attendance. Now, he has adapted the technology so that it scans for signs of whether students are in a neutral or happy state of mind, which could suggest when they are bored and help him to refine his lessons and teaching style. (Wei is, of course, a science teacher.)
The equipment used by the teacher isn’t specified, but an accompanying image depicts Wei standing next to a Mac monitor displaying an image of his classroom and students, suggesting that he is using readily-available computer cameras outfitted with biometric algorithm software.
It’s another example of the growing preponderance of biometric technology, with facial recognition being perhaps particularly widespread in China; the country’s major mobile payments app, Alipay, uses facial recognition technology to authentication users, for example. But Wei’s example also demonstrates a particular niche application of this technology, helping to illustrate its versatility.
Source: The Telegraph
–
September 12, 2016 – by Alex Perala
Follow Us