SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 20 — ModiFace Live is an augmented reality beauty app that uses face tracking and gesture tracking technology. The app allows users to virtually apply makeup in real time and record a video of their different looks. According to ModiFace Founder and CEO, Parham Aarabi, developing a makeup app was an accident.

“The initial idea was for defence applications for lip reading,” says Aarabi. “Then, as a fun thing on the side, we decided to put this, a version of this, for changing your lips online. But, that became very popular and told us that there’s a lot of interest in something like this.”

The newest ModiFace Live app automatically tracks a user's’ face because the system has already learned numerous facial features. According to Aarabi, over the past eight years, users had to upload their photos and manually define the shape of their eyes, eyebrows and lips by adjusting points on their photos.

After one hundred million photos, the system learned how to recognise these facial patterns. The app also tracks gestures, such as a pouting lip or a raised eyebrow, because it compares facial movements relative to each other. Based on the gesture, the app suggests different makeup applications.

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Someone with a critical eye may be wondering why users would even want an augmented reality app for applying makeup.

“People have always been interested in trying different effects on their own photo,” says Aarabi. “The selfie phenomenon of applying different things on your image has been very popular. But, we believe it’s even more popular when it’s instant and easy to access, and when it relates to videos.”

Aarabi says they’ll be launching a medical version of the ModiFace Live app in 2016. — ReutersModiFace app allows users to virtually apply makeup in real time and record a video of their different looks. — Reuters pic
ModiFace app allows users to virtually apply makeup in real time and record a video of their different looks. — Reuters pic

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