99.2% Attendance Accuracy with Facial Recognition
**The Challenge**: Tracking student attendance at universities presents several difficulties. When done manually, it becomes a tedious and time-consuming process, with some students finding ways to exploit the system. In larger classes, it’s less likely that instructors will remember every individual, making it easier for students to sign in for absent peers. A prominent university client was facing inconsistencies in their attendance process and was wasting valuable time relying on manual attendance records. Keeping an accurate attendance register has long been a challenge for universities using a manual headcount method.
**Solution**: Vacon proposed the use of facial recognition technology to automate attendance tracking utilizing existing CCTV systems across the campus. They developed an AI model and web-based software that identifies students as they pass through various entrance areas and approach classrooms. This identification is facilitated by a one-time biometric photo upload to a database for machine learning purposes, requiring only one photo per student for accurate recognition.
**How it works**:
1. The Hog model from the Python face-recognition module performs face detection.
2. Detected faces are matched to the photo database using embeddings derived from each image.
3. FaceNet generates facial embeddings for all images, and a specific threshold is set to compare face embeddings with the database.
4. Web sockets provide results on the website, displaying the student’s name, ID number, and photo.
**Results**: The system allows instructors to focus on teaching, yielding 100% of their time for educational activities. It achieves 99% accuracy in facial recognition within seconds. Anecdotal evidence indicates a decrease in behavioral misconduct complaints, as students are aware that cameras track their movements and locations.