Foil face-recognition cameras with Privacy Visor

(Credit: National Institute of Informatics)

Worried about all those security cameras tracking your every move? Try rocking one of these visors and enjoy anonymity once again.

At least that’s what Isao Echizen from Japan’s National Institute of Informatics is trying to achieve with the Privacy Visor (PDF).

Developed with Seiichi Gohshi of Kogakuin University, the visor has a near-infrared light source that messes up cameras but doesn’t affect the wearer’s vision, according to the institute.

They’re hardly fashionable, but the lights create noise that prevents computer vision algorithms from extracting the features needed to recognize a face.

Related stories

• FTC releases guidelines for facial-recognition use
• Facebook scores points in Europe after disabling facial recognition
• Why you should be worried about facial-recognition technology

The prototype visor has 11 LEDs aro… [Read more]

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