MorphoTrak to offer vendor-independent training in face comparison

MorphoTrak will begin offering vendor-independent training in face comparison, in which it will instruct individuals about computer-aided face recognition and facial identification.

Dr. Nicole Spaun, principal facial biometric expert at MorphoTrak, will lead the training in visual face comparison.

He previously served as a forensic examiner with the FBI’s Digital Evidence Lab and biometrics program manager for the U.S. Army in Europe,

According to Dr. Spaun, training for human reviewers has not kept up with the scope of facial images available from public and private sources.

Additionally, reviewers may be called upon to compare faces in different scenarios, including for a facial review in which the analyst uses multiple images from a face recognition system to match faces of the same individual.

Another possible scenario is for facial identification, a forensic 1:1 comparison to be presented in court.

MorphoTrak’s Face Comparison training will adhere to guidelines set by the Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG), and will address facial review and facial identification.

Through the training, attendees will learn about biometrics, facial anatomy, dermatology, image science, and image processing, as well as relevant legal issues and presentation in court.

The training will be available in a three-to-five day classroom course with exercises, as well in a shorter overview format.

“We welcome Dr. Spaun’s contribution to MorphoTrak’s rapidly developing facial recognition offering, as well as her skill as a trainer in the techniques of face comparison,” said Celeste Thomasson, president and CEO of MorphoTrak. “Dr. Spaun is a high-caliber forensic subject matter expert and has published numerous papers on manual comparison of people in images, developed a training program for forensic facial comparison, and served as the inaugural Chair of the FISWG Training and Proficiency Subcommittee. We are pleased to offer Dr. Spaun’s expertise to our customers, partners, and the public safety community.”

Previously reported, MorphoTrak named Teresa Wu the company’s director of strategic marketing and government relations.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  face biometrics  |  forensics  |  identity analytics