First there were paper logs and bundy clocks, then came cloud technology to eliminate manual processes and now in a post-lockdown world, it’s all about touchless technology.
Driving this trend is a concern for health and safety with research revealing that people in general are less inclined to touch things that others have touched, with 82% of people surveyed believing that touchless interfaces would be more hygienic and give them better protection.
This is understandable given our knowledge now of how easily germs and viruses spread, especially within indoor areas and where people are in close proximity.
Look around and you’ll notice touchless technology is emerging everywhere, from automated traffic lights to touchless car park boom gates and Face ID payment technologies. You could argue there is a new expectation from people, and workplaces are taking notice with many businesses looking to replace old technologies such as fingerprint scanners and kiosks with new touchless solutions.
Research backs this up with an Australian industrial workplace survey conducted by Nirovision, finding that a majority of respondents (77%) would be very likely or somewhat likely to invest in new technology to help keep their employees and workplace safe.
When prompted on the kind of technologies, (67%) of respondents believe that their workplace would be very likely or somewhat likely to invest in facial recognition technology.
While facial recognition has been around for while now, its benefits in a touchless world are more obvious than ever. And with most smartphones incorporating Face ID, people are becoming more accepting of the technology which is helping fuel its growth.
In 2020, the facial recognition market was valued at US$4.84 billion, and it is projected to be valued at USD 12.75 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 17.6% over the forecast period from 2021 to 2026 according to Mordor Intelligence.
How does facial recognition work?
Face recognition technology uses computer algorithms to identify a series of numerical vectors that represent key features detected in the image of a face. This can include things like the distance between the eyes or shape of the mouth. This data is then compared to other images in your facial recognition database in order to find a match.
If there is no match then your face is classified as unknown and ignored. So if you haven’t opted in or been added to a workplace’s facial recognition database then you cannot be identified.
There are lots of myths about facial recognition but if you understand how it works, then its benefits are very clear.
What are the benefits of facial recognition?
Facial recognition greatly strengthens security and safety. Unlike swipe cards and pin codes that are easily shared, face identification requires a person to be present to verify their identity. From touchless check in and access control, to tracking time and attendance, to being alerted when someone important shows up, there are many valuable use cases for the technology that ultimately help make workplaces safer and more secure.
This article was produced by Nirovision, an Australian owned and developed facial recognition provider that works with some of the country’s biggest companies within manufacturing and logistics.