3D Facial recognition to be showcased at MWC Trade Show in Shanghai by Sony

A demo of 3D sensors being used as a tool for biometric authentication will be demoed at the MWC trade show in Shanghai this week by SoftKinect. SoftKinect is a subsidiary of Sony that developes camera sensor modules for Sony Xperia smartphones. It also uses facial recognition software from a Swiss company, KeyLemon.

Reportedly, 3D facial recognition cannot be fooled easily as is the case with Android smartphone's using 2D facial recognition. It is even more advanced and according to the spokesperson from KeyLemon, it would also not be fooled by a 3D model of a person's face.

3D depth sensor might be the favourite tech for science fictions but it may not be too long before the feature hits your smartphones. There are speculations that Apple might introduce the feature to the upcoming iPhone flagship. The speculations are backed up by the fact that Apple acquired 3D sensor company PrimeSense in 2013.

A 3D sensor or a depth sensor can be used on a smartphone for several purposes. The technology can be used to create an immersive AR and gaming experience. It can also be used for taking selfies along with equipping the smartphone with means to 3D map a location. However, the best suited purpose for this extra sensor can be to enhance biometric authentication.

Looking at the figures, it apparently seems that technology is not too far away from smartphones. Sony has already managed to fit the sensor compactly in the front camera. It is also a major supplier of camera sensors to manufacturers, with nearly 40 percent of the market using Sony's sensors.

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