Gait Forensics: Why the government and their cameras will get it right

On Podcast 17 (click here for a link to our iTunes account) we mentioned and shared a brief snippet from a recent Nova Now (video.pbs.org) entitled “How the Brain Works”. In this podcast we discuss astrophysicist extraordinaire Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s thoughts on how vision can fool us because of 2 basic types of neuroreceptors, one that detects motion while the other suppresses the background. This occurs when we are tracking an object in something called smooth pursuit.  In other words, the brain doesn’t pay attention to everything our eyes look at.  The brain just cannot process all of the visual information accurately. This is a handicap as a human. It is what can make us good at some aspects of vision and less good at others, the question is “Can this be taught and refined ?"  Great basketball players for example can see the the entire court and see plays developing. Wayne Gretzky was also reportedly great at this. This is what led him to say "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where the puck currently is."  Watch any youth soccer  game and you will see just the opposite. You will see a hoard of little arms and legs all huddled around the soccer ball, no play is developing rather they are all in the moment competing to get the soccer ball.

Why are we talking about this from this perspective ?  Well there have been continued developments in the government’s gait recognition software, something we refer to as "Gait Forensics”.  Here are 2 links.

1. http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_now-cameras-can-identify-thieves-from-their-walk_1743650

2. http://rt.com/news/identify-walk-system-britain-668/

Computers will likely have the advantage of gathering all of the info on a persons gait. It will not get caught up on the face or the clothes, there will be no discrimination. The software will likely capture head carriage, arm swing, stride length, step length, cadence, postural characteristics and so much more.  It will be more information than the human will likely be able to process because computers will not likely suppress any aspects of a persons gait like we mentioned in the opening paragraphs of this blog piece. To the computer, all  parameters will have equal and top priority, at least in gathering information.  Interpretation remains another matter. But we are most sure that in time that too will be ironed out.

Shawn and Ivo

More on Gait Forensics. Soon to be in airports ? not yet→

Trust us, this will be something we will see in time.  This brief newsflash talked about foot plantar pressure representations, but as Ivo and I know…… there is so much more to the overall gait patterning. We know, we look at it everyday.

According to the brief article, “Researchers at the University of Liverpool analyzed more than 100,000 pressure points people’s feet create when they walk and came up with about 70 patterns said to be unique to any one individual, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The researchers said the findings could add another type of "biometric” identification in addition to retinal scanning and fingerprints at airports and in other security settings.“

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/10/10/Study-How-you-walk-can-identify-you/UPI-96891318285793/#ixzz1axvvfVAO

Gait Forensics labs……. you might want to look at our body of work…… we kinda know what we are doing. 

Shawn and Ivo, quite possibly, future experts in Gait Forensics.

Gait Forensics: Gait Recognition Software.→

Imagine you are a wanted criminal or terrorist. You know that in the soon-to-be police state that America is leaning towards, there will be cameras on every corner, in every building, on every public transportation service. Heck, it is in many of these places already.  So, what is a criminal to do ?  Hiding their identity was once the way but it is coming to an end because of the improving facial recognition computer programs currently being used. A once simple process of growing some facial hair, wearing sunglasses, changing haircut or color, wear hats is coming to an end.  Still, there are so many other ways criminals can hide amongst us and from the pending camera-happy America that we are soon becoming.  So, what is America’s next step to stay ahead of all this ?

Yup, why not begin a database of gait traits that can be identified; sort of like an AFIS for feet? After all, people do have different foot types, and combining that with gait patterns provides unique clues to an what makes us unique.

In the above article , “A team of New York University researchers has honed in on motion capture as a particularly promising approach to analysis. Associate computer science professor Chris Bregler is studying whether potential security threats can be identified via unique patterns of movement. How might someone walk if he was carrying a bomb in his backpack?” “A person’s body moves differently when it must compensate for some unnatural burden, such as a heavy backpack or even high-heeled shoes, says Bregler.”

“Bregler and his team have identified certain movement signatures with the help of the same motion-capture technology used for special effects in the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies.”

In present day America, one unfamiliar with suicide bombers, we feel safe most of the time.  But as these guys are investigating, carrying excess weight that one is not typically accustomed to, could generate some traceable gait characteristics that a camera could pick up on. But the problem, as we see it, is that if the terrorists know what we are looking for, they can train themselves to adapt to the added weight.

It took a decade or more for facial recognition software to become perfected by the government.  It is so simple now that Facebook has thrust it upon all of our photo galleries.  So who knows, in another decade or so, all of our gait patterns could be mapped and logged for the government and the “next Facebook” phenomenon. 

Hopefully these companies will come calling on the guys of gait……. the experts.

Shawn and Ivo…….The Gait Guys

in the infamous words of Steven Tyler, …..“walk this way”……. or

the immortal words of James Taylor…..“there’s something in the way she moves …..”

want more from the article ?  here is the link below

http://www.pbs.org/newshour