Face gesture recognition feature unveiled in Android 12 beta
The latest beta version of the Accessibility Suite app in Android 12 will include a new face biometrics-based feature dubbed ‘Camera Switches,’ XDA reports.
The face gesture recognition option was introduced in the fourth Android 12 beta recently released on Pixel phones and allows users to control their devices using face gestures.
Actions available through Camera Switches can be reportedly customized and associated with specific face gestures like smiling or raising eyebrows.
In addition, opening and closing your mouth will also be considered valid commands, as well as looking left, right, or up.
According to XDA, the new features allow for the mapping of these six face gestures, together with a few extra accessibility options.
These include enhanced visual feedback to show how long you have held a gesture, enhanced audio feedback to play a sound when something on-screen changes in response to a gesture, and keeping the screen on when Camera Switches is enabled.
The new set of gesture recognition features also include an option to ignore repeated Camera Switches triggers with a specific time delay.
According to XDA, Switch Access will support the connection of an external device via USB or Bluetooth to allow item selection, scrolling, typing, and more.
A persistent notification icon will reportedly show on the screen whenever the camera is being used by Accessibility Suite (in addition to Android 12’s privacy dashboard status camera indicator.)
While the new Accessibility Suite features are currently available only on Android 12, the XDA managed to sideload the app on Android 11 devices, hinting at possible plans by Google to make it available on its earlier operating system.
Apple has also been working on further developing face biometrics in recent years, with the company filing a patent for face-based presence detention in 2020.
Article Topics
access management | Android | biometrics | face detection | gesture recognition | smartphones
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