CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — People who hope to keep their age a secret
won't want to go near a computer running this software. Like an
age-guesser at a carnival, computer software being developed at
the University of Illinois can fairly accurately estimate a
person's age. But, unlike age-guessers, who can view a person's
body, the software works by examining only the person's face.
"Age-estimation software is useful in applications where you
don't need to specifically identify someone, such as a
government employee, but would like to know their age," said
Thomas S. Huang, the William L. Everitt Distinguished Professor
of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the U. of I. For
example, age-recognition algorithms could stop underage drinkers
from entering bars, prevent minors from purchasing tobacco
products from vending machines, and deny children access to
adult Web sites, said Huang, who leads the Image Formation and
Processing group at the university's Beckman Institute.
Estimating someone's age is not an easy task,