Soon, billboards that know male from female

(Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)

Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*Star) has developed a gender recognition system that could change the way advertising works in the future.

The technology uses sophisticated algorithms to differentiate facial features of males and females. However, unlike Face Detection 3.0, which is employed in point-and-shoots such as the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR, the gender recognition system can only detect faces that are facing the camera.

The A*Star-developed system is bring displayed at CommunicAsia 2009 held at the Singapore Expo. A representative at the agency's booth told us the technology is focused on advertising, so future digital billboards can detect the gender of the person looking at it and display the appropriate advertisement. The system can also track statistics such as the duration the viewer spends in front of the display.

A*Star also has an age recognition system in the works, and its application is similar to the gender-based counterpart. However, Sony already has a similar technology for its Cyber-shot compact shooters that can detect whether the subject in the frame is an adult or child.

Right now, the gender recognition system is still in beta testing. The agency hopes to roll out a beefier version by the end of the year.

(Source: Crave Asia)

[karpenterskids]

There'll always be the really ugly chick who looks like a guy...who'll get advertisements for men's deodorant...


Or a guy with shaggy long hair getting advertisements for tampons.


Just wait and see...

[Michichael]

Yup. Then SOMEBODY will get offended and sue.

[karpenterskids]

You bet.
It's the American way.

Something happens to us, and no matter how trivial it may be, we SUE.

[Orion Blastar]

Isn't this an invasion of privacy? What if the person does not want to have their gender detected and want to opt out of this kind of technology?

What next, detecting race and color of skin to determine what advertising to show? Isn't that racist? If that is racist then detecting gender is sexist.

[roidmeup]

Seriously? Are you trying to keep your gender a secret? I suppose then it would be an invasion of privacy. Personally, as a male, I don't care to see advertisements for tampons and nail polish, so I say bring this technology on.

[dracoaffectus]

This technology makes sense for both sides. It would allow companies to more accurately target their intended demographic, and the general public would only see ads that are intended to them based on gender. And gender is something that's (usually) obvious, do you try to disguise your gender when you go out in public? I'm sure some people do, but most do not.

[lightningrob]

If you look like a total dork, it will display CNet ads.

[karpenterskids]

haha

[jmans1212]

Personally I find the technology interesting of how to detect. However I for one will be delighted when I see all electronic billboards removed from the skyline. They are nothing but sky spam. Their advertisements have never worked in persuading me for purchasing anything or even where I may want to go to eat etc.
If they are getting so advanced with recognizing different people why can't they shut off when I walk by?
I can opt out of spam email even from companies I do business with. So why can't I opt out of advertisements from electronic billboards?
I do think they should limit the recognition. If it gets to the point of individual recognition and i walked by and said your name there will be many law suits against a company that does that sort of
With a brother-in-law in the police I can see all of them wanting to opt out of any electronic billboard recognition so that anyone in an undercover situation is not recognized.

In general I see the lawyers gearing up for civil law suits.

[Dalkorian]

What does it show if a guy and his girl are looking at it together?

I can see it now, later they're discussing this billboard they saw. He comments how he's tired of that junk and is starting to find it offensive, not mentioning to her it was a viagra ad he saw. She saw a tampon ad and has a hissy fit over him finding it offensive, again without telling him what she saw.

I guess it's inevitable, after all it's natural to increase chaos in the universe - in fact it's the law!
;-)

[LuciaMMoss]

This seems like a pretty ingenious gadget, however, I'd like to point out that Transgendered people MAAAY not appreciate this as much as others would. I myself would find it kinda rude to be walking past a deodorant ad and have it point me out as male.

[karpenterskids]

Yeah, when I read this, I thought about gender-confused people as well.

Sometimes, I can't even tell if they're trying to go from male to female or from female to male. lol

[Consumer007]

Yes I can hardly wait to see what happens to transgendered, gender benders and drag queens with this technology. Will it then look for a purse, how the person walks, etc. for extra "proof"? Not to mention a whole world of cultural differences.

I would suggest they get Ina Freed (or is that Ima Freak) to review it and try to break the system lol. Girlfriend, get the face transplant, not just the new boobs, okay?

Personally I think this is yet another area where marketing nazi busybodies want to invade and run our lives where they aren't entitled to.