Engineers at Sony Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) have developed a system for analyzing various elements of the skin, including texture, blemishes, pores, brightness and coloring.
An important aspect of any skin analysis system is its ability to examine both the surface layer of the skin with visible light, as well as the layers beneath the skin with near-infrared light.
The Sony Smart Skin Evaluation Program (SSKEP) system achieves this goal by illuminating the skin with multiple wavelength light sources, capturing the image data on back-illuminated CMOS image sensors and using skin-analyzing algorithms to measure and analyze various elements of the skin.
Sony's own algorithms enable skin texture to be evaluated by analyzing its shape, volume and direction. Furthermore, pigmentation on, and beneath, the surface of the skin can be viewed by conducting a pixel-by-pixel analysis of melanin in the skin, thus enabling information to be obtained about concealed markings and blemishes.
Sony anticipates that the SSKEP system will be used in new consumer products in the beauty industry. Its engineers plan to continue develop and enhance the technology.
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-- Dave Wilson, Senior Editor, Vision Systems Design