Cognitec Algorithm Receives Best Rating in NIST Independent Vendor Test
Dresden, April 7, 2014—Test results on the performance of automated age estimation algorithms, published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), confirmed Cognitec Systems’ market-leading position in the face recognition market. The test compared nine algorithms submitted by six participants, five companies and one university, and applied them to seven million images. Results show that Cognitec’s algorithm performs with the highest accuracy for all age groups. Most notably, the algorithm shows superior performance “in the youth and senior age groups, leading the next most accurate algorithm in 5-year accuracy by 30% and 16%, respectively,” according to the report.
Age estimation via face recognition technology has gained importance in recent years, with a growing variety of commercial and government applications. The NIST report lists various examples for such applications, e.g. age-based access control and verification, age estimation in crime and mass disaster investigation, age-adaptive targeted marketing, age-invariant person identification, and age-based indexing of face images.
Cognitec’s product FaceVACS-VideoScan uses age estimation to determine the age ranges of persons seen in video streams and footage. The technology computes age statistics over time, providing businesses with anonymous visitor data to make interior design, advertising placement, staffing and other operational decisions that enhance customer experience.
Since FaceVACS-VideoScan can analyze a face for age and gender as people approach a camera, it can trigger the display of a targeted message on a digital sign or other advertising and message devices.
Note: Results from the Face Recognition Vendor Test 2012 do not constitute endorsement of any particular product by the U.S. Government. The complete report can be downloaded at: http://www.nist.gov/customcf/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=915238
About Cognitec
Cognitec develops market-leading face recognition technologies and applications for enterprise and government customers around the world. In various independent evaluation tests, our FaceVACS® software has proven to be the premier technology available on the market. Cognitec’s portfolio includes products for facial database search, video screening and analytics, border control, ICAO compliant photo capturing and facial image quality assessment. Corporate headquarters are located in Dresden, Germany; other offices in Miami, FL; Rockland, MA; and Sydney, Australia.
