Facial expression recognition using thermal image processing and neural network

A method with Thermal Image Processing and Neural Network is presented for recognition official expression. The method Is based on 2-dimensional detection of temperature distribution of face, using Infrared Rays. The front-view face in input image is normalized in terms of the size and the location, followed by measuring the local temperature-difference between the averaged neutral and the unknown expression faces. For measuring the local temperature-difference, several blocks on face are decided, based on the studies in the fields of psychology, especially FACS-AU, and computer vision with visible ray, while the blocks including cheekbone region are decided experimentally for improving the recognition accuracy. The local temperature-difference caused by the rearrangement of face muscle and the inner temperature change is used as input data for Neural Network. By using Back Propagation method, neutral, happy, surprise and sad expressions were recognized with 90% accuracy.