Fun with Snapchat’s Gender Swapping Filter
Initial Observations
The center picture is a standard bathroom selfie. To the left is the "male" filter, and on the right the "female" filter.
The first thing most users probably notice is that the app works in real time, works with a few different face angles, and does not require an internet connection to run. Hair behaves very naturally when wearing a beanie.
Occlusion Tests
Ok, it works pretty well. Can we get it to fail? The app detects when the face is in the wrong pose, but what if there are things occluding the face? Do those occluding objects get "transformed" too?
The answer is yes. Below is a test where I slide an object across my face. The app works when half the face is occluded, but it seems like if too much of the face is blocked, the "should I face swap" bit is set to False.
How does it work? A guess
At first glance, my mind jumped to some sort of CycleGAN architecture that maps the distribution of male faces to female faces, and vice versa. The dataset would be the billions of selfies Snap has, er, not deleted in the last 8 years.
This does raise a lot of questions though:
- Are they training truly unpaired image translation? That would be incredibly impressive, ...
Will gender fluidity & drag culture will become more normalized in society as our daily social media normalize gender-bending?
See the full story here: https://blog.evjang.com/2019/05/fun-with-snapchats-gender-swapping.html?fbclid=IwAR2zMkl9X_3-1lvOPj7KBKLCHCEouEORizuOi1JP_YEEVaLm1MxK6xnQBmI
Virtual reality casino games have arrived
The enjoyment value comes from the gambling itself and not as much from the environment in which someone is playing.
Back in 2015, software giant Microgaming first introduced the concept of VR for the online casino industry. It was a crude version of a slot game, but it offered insight into what was possible if software developers would be willing to fully commit to developing a VR experience for online gamblers.
It’s a slow burn, but it looks like the inclusion of the VR option is moving quickly forward. With the right accessories, the quality of gaming is there. It’s just a matter of updating current gambling platforms to include access to the VR gambling experience.
See the full story here: https://knowtechie.com/virtual-reality-casino-games-have-arrived/
AI SpaceFactory Wins NASA’s 3D-Printed Mars Habitat Challenge
MARSHA was praised for its smart use of materiality, constructed from a biodegradable and recyclable basalt composite derived from natural materials found on Mars. After withstanding NASA’s pressure, smoke, and impact resting, the material was found to be stronger and more durable than its concrete competitors.
Built from a novel mixture of basalt fiber extracted from Marian rock and renewable plant-based bioplastic, MARSHA’s vertical shape, and human-centric design marks a radical departure from previous Martian designs. AI SpaceFactory describes MARSHA as a first-principles rethinking of what a Martian habitat could be — not another low-lying dome or confined half-buried structure, but an airy, multi-level environment filled with diffuse light. This innovation challenges the conventional image of “space age” architecture by focusing on the creation of highly habitable spaces tuned to the demands of a Mars mission.
See the full story here: https://www.archdaily.com/916888/ai-spacefactory-wins-nasas-3d-printed-mars-habitat-challenge
How Virtual Reality Can Improve The Quality Of Life For People With Dementia
Their study was recently published in the Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, and was presented at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems taking place in Glasgow, May 4-9.
The small study, conducted at St Andrew's Healthcare in Northampton, involved 8 patients (ages 41 to 88) who were living with dementia. (Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease).
The study equipped each patient with a VR headset to 'visit' one of five virtual environments (VEs): a cathedral, a forest, a sandy beach, a rocky beach, and a countryside scene. Each patient underwent 16 monitored sessions and response and feedback was recorded among patients and their caregivers.
One important finding from the study was that VR helped patients retrieve old memories by incorporating novel stimuli difficult to access as a result of poor and declining health and inability to reach from their limited and secure environment.
See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2019/05/09/how-virtual-reality-can-improve-the-quality-of-life-for-people-with-dementia/#637c84ae7f1c
Army, NPS Embrace Virtual and Augmented Reality
“The largest use has been in training. Maintenance is second — for example, goggles that allow a worker to have access to records and pictures of parts when he’s in the belly of an airplane.”
VR Lets Users Experience Historic Sites
Other agencies are turning to creative methods — and outside help — to develop AR/VR programs that enhance the customer experience.
The American Battle Monuments Commission created a smartphone app that allows people to take a virtual tour of the Normandy American Cemetery near Omaha Beach in northern France, the burial site for 9,387 Americans who died in the D-Day invasion. The app also gives tourists physically at the site more information about what they’re seeing.
The tiny agency, which maintains 26 cemeteries and 30 memorials around the world, outsourced production of the app, says Tim Nosal, ABMC chief of external affairs.
“The complexity of the technology is likely beyond the capability of most government agencies,” Ollig says. “We can give the public something they’ve never seen before when we find a partner who’s willing to work with us in a way that fits with our mission.”
See the full story here: https://fedtechmagazine.com/article/2019/05/army-nps-embrace-virtual-and-augmented-reality