Job Listing Lends Further Credence to Apple's Acquisition of Faceshift

[MacRumors]

Earlier this month, we reported that Apple may have acquired Swiss real-time motion capture firm Faceshift, based on the company's corporate directors stepping down in August and being replaced by Martin Frey, a mergers and acquisitions attorney at Baker & McKenzie. Apple has frequently used Baker & McKenzie's services around the world, including management of some of Apple's Swiss trademarks.

Lending further credence to the rumor, Apple has posted a job listing for a PhD-level Software Engineering position within its Camera and Media Algorithms Group. The listing provides a generic location of Apple's Swiss corporate headquarters at Löwenstrasse 29 in Zurich, Switzerland, but the highly technical skills and experience required for the job suggest it may be located at nearby Faceshift.

This engineer will work to create cutting-edge imaging algorithms for both mobile and desktop photographic applications. The ideal candidate will have experience with advanced imaging techniques such as multi-scale, wavelet, or gradient-domain processing. In addition, experience with processing video for computational information is desired including experience with image registration methods. Also, experience working with multi-spectral imaging systems is desired. 5+ years algorithmic development for general image processing, computational photography, color and image quality. Strong understanding of digital imaging/camera pipelines. Strong computational and imaging for information experience. Excellent coding skills in C, C++, and MATLAB Ability to optimize/debug imaging algorithms. Familiarity with common development and debugging tools, ideally for both mobile and desktop applications. Strong verbal and written communication skills in English. Ability to manage multiple tasks and self-prioritize. PhD in image processing or computational photography field required.

Faceshift launched in 2011 out of the Computer Graphics and Geometry Laboratory at EPFL in Lausanne, also known as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and a source working in a similar field told MacRumors that Apple may be working with Switzerland's other technical university ETH Zurich on image segmentation and characterization at a secretive location in Zurich.

Nevertheless, the acquisition still cannot be proved beyond circumstantial evidence.

• Faceshift has largely shut down its website that formerly advertised its upcoming consumer effort and a partnership for integration with Intel's RealSense 3D camera systems
• Faceshift has removed nearly all mentions of its previous Faceshift Studio software from its website and has gone silent on Twitter and Facebook
• Multiple employees at Faceshift have updated their LinkedIn profiles with "Currently Looking For New Opportunities" or "Considering New Opportunities"

Faceshift has demoed its motion capture technology several times in the past few years, including at GDC 2015.

There are numerous ways in which Apple could use Faceshift's technologies, should this acquisition rumor prove true, ranging from real-time avatars for FaceTime video chats to biometrics for unlocking devices or authorizing payments via facial recognition. Apple's past acquisitions of 3D body sensing firm PrimeSense and Swedish facial recognition firm Polar Rose make it clear the company is interested in the space.

Article Link: Job Listing Lends Further Credence to Apple's Acquisition of Faceshift

 

[Kajje]

The only general public purpose this technology has, is Siri.

However the day that green gnork becomes the face of Siri I'll switch to Android. Noserings are so iOS 5

 

[AngerDanger]

The budget required to make the next Avatar movie just dropped considerably.

 

[dampfnudel]

So facial recognition, "3D Face", will be the big new feature with the iPhone 7s in 2017?

 

[Chrjy]

Even the most cynical people out there have to admit that's pretty clever stuff right there!

 

[greytmom]

Doesn't the middle image in Capture # 2 look like Voldemort, with a nose?

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

The budget required to make the next Avatar movie just dropped considerably.

This isn't anywhere near good enough to make Avartar. Looks more like the early foundation of software dev kit to be added to Xcode to enable a new generation of games of a specific type.

 

[avanpelt]

I have to wonder if Apple would want to use face detection to unlock iOS devices in addition to Touch ID? I know Microsoft is heading that way with Windows 10 but I always thought that was because fingerprint scanners on laptops have traditionally been subpar when compared to Touch ID. Maybe they'd use face detection just to unlock the Mac?

 

[Ellmer]

"Me not that kind of orc"

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Still no headset on the orc, or nosering on the girl...

#Disappointed

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

The budget required to make the next Avatar movie just dropped considerably.

They saved enough money on the script, but they can still do Avatar II, Journey to a New World...

 

[LordVic]

I'm curious what Apple can do with this.

I would have predicted a game company to be all over this. Implement facial tracking in your next MMO version with real life facial features when talking to others.

Not sure how such tech would apply to phones, tablets and OS's. though, I look forward to seeing it

 

[carrrrrlos]

Getting ready to dust of that old Photo Booth app!

 

[AngerDanger]

This isn't anywhere near good enough to make Avartar. Looks more like the early foundation of software dev kit to be added to Xcode to enable a new generation of games of a specific type.

Oh, yeah, now that you mentioned it, I suppose it is quite on par with the advanced motion capture technology and 10,000 square foot server farm used to render Avatar. It was a simple mistake on my part.

 

[Jarman74]

Not a fan of this stuff, just decided to log in and say that the blonde is hot. Have a nice day everyone.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Not a fan of this stuff, just decided to log in and say that the blonde is hot. Have a nice day everyone.

Not into blondes, but some women do make my face shift.

Only other time my face shifts is when I read some posts on MR.

 

[MrCrowbar]

I can see a lot of ways for this tech to be useful. The face recognition in Photos is kind of a joke right now, this could combine a couple videos of people's faces (those new animated photos would be the perfect source for the algorithm to learn a wide range of facial poses) to recognize and tag the correct people. Same with video. I'd love to be able to type the name of a person in my contacts and it narrows down all the pictures and videos to that person. Animate the picture in the contacts app while you're at it too.

Another cool use could be reading your lips when you wanna talk to Siri in a loud environment.

And yes, of course photo booth. I could even see it for facetime. Didn't do your hair and makeup yet and someone wants to FaceTime? No problem, just scan your prettiest face beforehand and switch to the virtual you before you pick up. With last month's haircut.

 

[joesegh]

The only general public purpose this technology has, is Siri.

However the day that green gnork becomes the face of Siri I'll switch to Android. Noserings are so iOS 5

I think the obvious application is for iOS game developers. Clearly iPhone is a huge gaming platform, so I think extending this technology to all iOS developers is very much so in Apple's interests. Every year they add more features. This year it's GameplayKit, Model I/O, and MetalKit, in the future FaceKit?

 

[FieldingMellish]

What will this do for dating sites?

 

[maknik]

After looking at that video, I wonder what the facial equivalent of carpal tunnel syndrome is, after players spend hours working to make facial expressions big enough for this method to pick up?

 

[Punkwaffle]

And yes, of course photo booth. I could even see it for facetime. Didn't do your hair and makeup yet and someone wants to FaceTime? No problem, just scan your prettiest face beforehand and switch to the virtual you before you pick up. With last month's haircut.

That already exists and works pretty damn good: YouCam Makeup App

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

What will this do for dating sites?

When I was single, most of the time the one on the left appeared, in person, as the one on the left.

 

[Tech198]

sounds like a possible way to replace TouchID

 

[sully54]

I'm guessing facial recognition unlocking for iOS devices that doesn't require the phone to be square and level with the user's face. Or a kinect-like tech for the Apple TV.

 

[tennisproha]

This is awesome. Motion capture is gonna be even more amazing in a few years

Even the most cynical people out there have to admit that's pretty clever stuff right there!

Cynical of what?