Google Acquires PittPatt; Plans Facial Recognition for Mobiles

Google has acquired PittPatt, a company specializing in facial recognition, according to an announcement on the company’s site. Plans are unclear as to what exactly Google is planning to implement with their latest acquisition, but it does seem like it could be an interesting move for Google in the smart phone genre. 

PittPatt, a project developed by three PhD graduates from Carnegie Mellon University, specializes in facial recognition that can be used for both, basic face detection and live face tracking during live photo and video capture. The company basically develops algorithms that can detect human faces in photos and can track human movement in videos. It’s likely that the company’s facial recognition technology will be used for basic photo sorting to ‘complex video and mobile applications’ for Google’s Android Operating System.

Facial Recognition: the future of app development?

Google has been contemplating introducing the recently developed facial recognition feature for Google Goggles. However, it has kept this add-on locked away for fear that it could be misused. However, this new venture indicates that Google will most likely look to integrate advanced facial recognition into their upcoming Android Ice Cream Sandwich platform. 

More from News & Analysis

What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?

Do you think there is potential for facial recognition to be successful in applications? Let us know in the comments section below.