We live in an era where nobody can take a picture without using filters! No matter how beautiful you are or how flawless your skin is, we cannot take any pictures without using filters.
Filter is available almost on all social media platform. The most iconic ones would be Instagram and Snapchat. There are just thousands of filters to choose from. Many people are unaware of how these fantastic filters are generated and the technology behind how they fit people’s faces almost exactly because they are having so much fun with them.
What are face filters?
Picture: Medium
Face filters is actually your face but with a slight changes to it. Facial filters function by identifying a face image and using augmented reality to superimpose virtual objects onto that face. The entire process is completed in an instant, and a new portrait is created. The AR experience is activated when the individual turns their head or makes distinct facial expressions.
It’s easy to see why these personalised filters – which are most commonly linked with Instagram but are also available on Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok – are so popular. Filters are extremely adaptable and can be utilised to express an artist’s personal style. They can be amusing, artistic, and adorable, and they can even be utilised in conjunction with music.
History of AR Filters
The beginning of the face filter craze can be traced back to 2015, when Snapchat debuted Lenses, their version of face filters. When contact lenses first became available, they were mostly used for comic and entertaining purposes.
Picture: Teen Vogue
In 2017, Facebook and Instagram both developed their own versions of the face filter fad. Face filters gained in popularity throughout time, and more variations became accessible. Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram were the only platforms that could produce and distribute the filters at first. However, beginning in 2018, all three platforms began enabling third parties to create public face filters. Since then, a plethora of filters has been developed for all three platforms.
There are various types of filters such as:
- Animals
- Beauty
- Company-sponsored
- Funny
- Games
- Horror
- Sci-fi
- Social Cause
How it works
Face filters were developed by a Ukrainian business called Looksery, which used the technology to edit people’s appearances during video conferences. Snapchat purchased their technology, known as the Viola-Jones algorithm, and used it to build the face filters that are now used in numerous social networking apps. It’s more difficult to make a face filter than it is to use one. So here’s a breakdown of how face filters actually work.
Picture: Medium
Face detection is the initial step. Because the image is originally seen as a series of ones and zeros, the algorithm searches it for color patterns. This can include noticing that the cheek is lighter than the eye or that the nose bridge is lighter than the rest of the face. A face can be recognized in the camera after these patterns are detected.
The extraction of landmarks is the next phase. Facial features such as the chin, nose, and forehead are determined using specialized algorithms in a 2D image. The third step is to align your face. To correctly match the filter to a given face, the coordinates of landmarks on people’s faces are taken.
Picture: Medium
The fourth step is to create a 3D mesh. To match the filter animation to a specific face, a 3D model of the user’s face is constructed using the 2D image. Face tracking, the final step, approximates and locates the 3D mask in real time. This prevents the filter from disappearing or relocating to an erroneous spot when the user moves their face.
Face filters definitely help lots of people when it comes to getting a perfect photo. Many people are continuously self-conscious about their appearance. Face filters, as a result, eliminate skin textures, tones, scars, and everything else that makes you, you, and give you the perfect look to conquer the day. Regardless of how much fun it is to use filters, keep in mind that they do not change who you are and that applying too many filters can give you a phony appearance.
Sources: Knight Lab, The Coder School, Musically, The Drum, Quantilus, Banuba, Adobe
