A system of Artificial Intelligence is able to reconstruct all the facial geometry in 3D from a single image, including the non-visible parts of the face.

A new era in selfies could begin thanks to a technology developed by computer scientists at the University of Nottingham and Kingston University. 3D facial reconstruction is already possible from a single image: the 3D selfie.

Through a web application, anyone can load a single color image and receive, in a few seconds, a 3D model of it. More than 400,000 users have already done the test.

The technique, while far from perfect, is a breakthrough that computer scientists have been looking for for years. What does it consist of? The new technology is based on a convolutional neural network, that is, an area of ​​Artificial Intelligence that uses machine learning to equip computers with the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed for it.

The research team, supervised by Dr. Yorgos Tzimiropoulos, developed this convolutional neuronal network based on a huge data set of 2D images and 3D facial models. With all this information, his neural network was able to reconstruct the 3D facial geometry from a single 2D image. In addition, he was able to reconstruct the non-visible parts of the face by making a series of conjectures.

"The main novelty lies in the simplicity of our approach, unlike other techniques," acknowledges the director of the research, Dr. Tzimiropoulos.

The systems that were available until now required multiple facial images and face several challenges, such as the exact correspondence of facial poses, expressions and non-uniform illumination.

"Our neural network uses only a 2D facial image, and works with arbitrary facial poses (for example, frontal or profile images) and facial expressions (for example, smiling)," explains Aaron Jackson, another of the researchers.

The new technique is a sign of advances in deep learning, a form of mechanical learning that uses artificial neural networks (AI) to mimic the way the brain makes connections between pieces of information.

Multiple applications

But one of the most solid options in its price range.

In the attractive and beautiful city of Munich, Huawei finally unveiled the new Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro, two of the most anticipated terminals of 2017. These new products arrive with a new design without frames, new technologies on their screens and a total bet by artificial intelligence and neuronal processing units.

These new products, once in hand, feel especially different to all the previous that the brand has manufactured. The glossy finish and the perfect union of the elements that make up the chassis improve your perception as a whole.

The phone is slightly more curved than usual. The screen retains the 16: 9 format.

Also in the hand is a small great detail of this Mate 10: the format of the phone. The company has reduced the frames surrounding the screen, following the general trend of this 2017. However, Huawei designers and engineers have decided to keep the 16: 9 screen instead of embracing new proportions like 18: 9 (slightly more high). As a result, this Mate 10 feels more square and compact than any other phone in 2017.

The feeling when holding a phone so square is strange, but also positive. This decision has allowed Huawei to integrate a 5.9-inch screen into a much smaller body than any other flagship of 2017. And that, considering the annual dose of anabolics that the industry receives, is welcomed with open arms.

Another of the strengths of Mate 10 is the Kirin 970 chip, a SoC designed in house and that integrates for the first time a unit of neuronal processing destined solely and exclusively to tasks related to artificial intelligence.

From a technical point of view, the advance of this new chip with respect to the previous generation (Kirin 960) is minimal. It is more efficient and somewhat more powerful in certain areas, but none of these advances is remarkable enough to be highlighted individually.

What does suppose a step forward is the unit of neuronal processing that commented previously. This is able to perform very specific tasks such as the identification of patterns of use or intelligent analysis of images.

The impact of this NPU is, for the moment, very small. Only in some very particular cases such as photography or the study of patterns can you find some light around this NPU. However, its inclusion is a first step towards AI, which is already considered as the future of technology. With the passage of time, Huawei will learn to get more out of it and develop features that express this new chip.

The last major field of interest is the camera. Huawei has improved several aspects of its set, but one of the most notable is the opening f / 1.6, far superior to any other phone of the brand and only compared, today, by the LG V30.

This greater opening, together with other technologies, allows to obtain better photographs in low light conditions, something that all Huawei phones have suffered for generations. In the same way, the greater light input allows to achieve more stable photographs and with less noise. Like its predecessor, Mate 10 is committed to a dual set of cameras with different resolutions and sensors. On the one hand there is the main sensor, 12 megapixels and multi-chromatic; on the other is the secondary sensor, 20 megapixels and monochromatic. Together they are able to offer a 2x hybrid zoom and defocus system.

The results of the blurring system seem to be better than those of its predecessors, but the detection of edges and the blur's artificiality continue to play against it. There, proposals such as those of Apple or Samsung continue to do a better job.

To these three main points we must add the excellent autonomy provided by a 4,000 mAh battery and the peace of mind of the fast charging system that Huawei integrates into its phones - faster than the main alternative solutions.

We must also add the presence of EMUI 8, whose progress compared to the version we saw just a year ago is minimal. At the aesthetic level it remains heterogeneous and of debatable taste, but on a practical level it compensates with great functionality, versatility and fluidity.

In general terms, the Mate 10 of Huawei is a very good product. For 699 euros and with the more than predictable devaluation that will suffer in its first months of sale, it easily becomes one of the best options for all those who do not seek to spend large sums of money on a high-end smartphone.

However, nobody should place this product on a par with others such as the Galaxy Note 8 or the new iPhone - although it was what many expected and wanted. This Mate 10 is just below, in a segment that occupy other phones like the OnePlus 5 or the LG G6. That's where you can - and probably do - do a lot of damage.