Team Creates Footwear Recognition System 50

Posted by samzenpus on Friday January 27, 2012 @03:59AM from the these-boots-were-made-for-coding dept.

Zothecula writes "Facial recognition might be all the rage in giving computer systems the ability to ascertain the identity of individuals — what with most people having different facial features and all. But a team from the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany, has taken a different approach to identify users of touch-based tabletop computers like Microsoft's Surface. Instead of focusing on the face, the team has looked in the opposite direction to develop a system known as Bootstrapper, which distinguishes between users based on their footwear ."

Team Creates Footwear Recognition System

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First post. (Score:5, Funny)

by Mal-2 ( 675116 ) writes: on Friday January 27, 2012 @04:02AM (#38837241) Homepage Journal

If I don't get first post, I guess I was busy changing my shoes.
Seriously, the system is going to break the first time these developers are introduced to WOMEN.

- Re: (Score:3)
  
  by jamesh ( 87723 ) writes:
  
  If I don't get first post, I guess I was busy changing my shoes.
  Seriously, the system is going to break the first time these developers are introduced to WOMEN.
  It could be useful at nightclubs though "Seriously... those shoes with _that_ dress? You have to be kidding me. Go away".
  - Re: (Score:3)
    
    by mwvdlee ( 775178 ) writes:
    
    "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Davina".
- Women look at shoes first; men look at asses first (Score:4, Insightful)
  
  by Zero__Kelvin ( 151819 ) writes: on Friday January 27, 2012 @07:24AM (#38838111) Homepage
  
  "Seriously, the system is going to break the first time these developers are introduced to WOMEN."
  The developers clearly are women. If it was developed by men it would be an ass recognition system.
  
  - Re: (Score:1)
    
    by Xupa ( 1313669 ) writes:
    
    Seriously, an ass recognition system would break the first time it was introduced to WOMEN! OHH!
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by Nimloth ( 704789 ) writes:
  
  I think they already got help from a woman, I've seen a documentary on the process on TV [youtube.com] the other day...
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by mcgrew ( 92797 ) * writes:
  
  Seriously, the system is going to break the first time these developers are introduced to WOMEN.
  No, it will break the first time somebody who bought the same style of shoes as you sits down at your terminal and pens a nasty email to the CEO. Less liklihood with women, who HATE it when any part of their apparrel is the same as another woman's.
Whatcouldpossiblygowrong? (Score:2)

by bjourne ( 1034822 ) writes:

Insert the obligatory comment about how one could easily fool this sytem and therefore their research is completely useless. The researchers did not think about people changing their shoes, but the slashdotters did!
Before you break into a mans computer... (Score:3)

by jamesh ( 87723 ) writes: on Friday January 27, 2012 @04:12AM (#38837289)

Before you break into a mans computer, first walk a mile in his shoes.

- - Re: (Score:2)
    
    by GameboyRMH ( 1153867 ) writes:
    
    Once again RMS' foresight reveals itself - this is why he always wears sandals, it causes the system to throw an error :-P
useless (Score:1)

by Karmashock ( 2415832 ) writes:

totally... utterly... useless.
Footwear? I mean... I could see doing something based on scanning people's feet like you do their finger prints. But... their shoes? Really?
You might as well classify people by their choice in beverages.
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by somersault ( 912633 ) writes:
  
  You might as well classify people by their choice in beverages.
  People do that all the time.
  - Re: (Score:1)
    
    by davewoods ( 2450314 ) writes:
    
    But they do not do it in order to secure whatever type of computer system they happen to be using.
    - Re: (Score:2)
      
      by somersault ( 912633 ) writes:
      
      I didn't say it was a valid concept, I just said that people do it! People are stupid. :p
Team Creates Footwear Recognition System (Score:5, Funny)

by jamesh ( 87723 ) writes: on Friday January 27, 2012 @04:20AM (#38837333)

Team Creates Footwear Recognition System
Did the team consist of Sheldon and Penny?

designed by the introverted, for the introverted (Score:5, Funny)

by r00t ( 33219 ) writes: on Friday January 27, 2012 @04:23AM (#38837345) Journal

How do you recognize an extroverted engineer? He looks at **your** shoes.

first and last time i RTFA (Score:1)

by aepurniet ( 995777 ) writes:

i honestly thought there would be sensors in the floor, to determine foot size, gate, and pressure differences while walking and standing.
honestly though this seems more like an exercise than a full fledged effort at the problem.
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by mwvdlee ( 775178 ) writes:
  
  I first thought it would be a system to recognize shoeprint, size, stance, etc. perhaps using a large grid of tiny pressure sensors or a camera facing upward through a transparent floor or something really clever. Instead it's just a far less capable version of facial recognition.
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by GameboyRMH ( 1153867 ) writes:
  
  I thought it would recognize footprints and compare minor details, the same way tire treads can be traced back to cars.
  But this looks at the top of your shoes instead. If you want to be anonymous just wear black formal shoes, they all look the same.
CSI:Heidelberg / Bloodhound (Score:2)

by PolygamousRanchKid ( 1290638 ) writes:

I'm sure I've seen this on one of the many CSI cities already: the wall screen flashes pictures of shoes from the national strategic shoe database, until it stops with a match. Guilty person found.
Hmmm . . . Hasso Plattner? SAP founder? What does SAP want to do with this footwear recognition system . . . ?
Half seriously, why not get a bloodhound to sniff the shoes? It should be able to recognize someone who is naughty or someone who is nice, friend or foe, really fast.
Although, when the poor critter
Mod OP up/down to (Score:2)

by vikingpower ( 768921 ) writes:

**idle**
Future email to sysadmins (Score:2)

by rcasha2 ( 1157863 ) writes:

"I think someone stole my shoes. I need new shoes."
"My shoes were hacked!"
Microsoft's Scarface (Score:2)

by G3ckoG33k ( 647276 ) writes:

Microsoft's Scarface, yes that is how I first read it, honestly. That it may also be considered offensive, I take that as a bonus.
What can you think of rhyming with "Microsoft's Scarface"?
Yet another nifty yet useless prototype... (Score:1)

by zedrdave ( 1978512 ) writes:

And it will work so much better than facial recognition, because no two people wear the same shoes. And people always wear the same pair of shoes to play games.
Aren't most shoes mass produced? (Score:2)

by Attila Dimedici ( 1036002 ) writes:

Who thought this was a good idea. Most shoes are mass produced. I bought mine off the shelf at a store that had 10 more just like them in various sizes. Exactly who was it who thought that what type of footwear someone wears would be unique to that person.
so sad. (Score:1)

by Gravis Zero ( 934156 ) writes:

i can tell you right now that they have gotten a patent on this already and probably for recognizing everything from socks to shirts to hair styles.
BANG! (Score:1)

by RedHat Rocky ( 94208 ) writes:

So, they watch Big Bang in Germany?
Or are the Big Bang writers secret followers of Hackerdom?
Bazinga!
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by sexconker ( 1179573 ) writes:
  
  So, they watch Big Bang in Germany?
  Or are the Big Bang writers secret followers of Hackerdom?
  Bazinga!
  Project SHOE
Rule 36 (Score:3)

by Kozar_The_Malignant ( 738483 ) writes: on Friday January 27, 2012 @08:34AM (#38838549)

Techie shoe fetishists?

Didn't Penny already create an app for this? (Score:2)

by Dcnjoe60 ( 682885 ) writes:

Didn't Penny already create an app for this?
Tiny Feet (Score:2)

by kiehlster ( 844523 ) writes:

If this could determine shoe size, then there will be a sudden demand for engineers and scientists with tiny feet working for the defense department. You could fake someone's iris and fingerprints, but unless you can fit into a very small pair of shoes, you're not going to have much luck. And that would probably eliminate a good portion of the American population from defense contracting.
Sneaky! (Score:2)

by VortexCortex ( 1117377 ) writes:

So, they could install these sensors to track me from place to place without my knowledge?
Hmm.... [tiptoes away]
Dummest. Idea. Ever. (Score:1)

by pscottdv ( 676889 ) writes:

n/t
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by ceoyoyo ( 59147 ) writes:
  
  Resolution?
Not gonna work so well (Score:2)

by russotto ( 537200 ) writes:

Bootstrapper, allow me to introduce you to the modern miracle of mass production. Mass production, meet bootstrapper. OK, now, break's over, mass production -- get back to work.
That is nothing... try a little higher.... (Score:2)

by Wdi ( 142463 ) writes:

Japanese researchers have recently created a system which identifies drivers by recognizing their asses in the driver's seat:
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20111213D13JSN01.htm

There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

First post. (Score:5, Funny)

Re: (Score:3)

Re: (Score:3)

Women look at shoes first; men look at asses first (Score:4, Insightful)

Re: (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Re: (Score:2)

Whatcouldpossiblygowrong? (Score:2)

Before you break into a mans computer... (Score:3)

Re: (Score:2)

useless (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Re: (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Team Creates Footwear Recognition System (Score:5, Funny)

designed by the introverted, for the introverted (Score:5, Funny)

first and last time i RTFA (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Re: (Score:2)

CSI:Heidelberg / Bloodhound (Score:2)

Mod OP up/down to (Score:2)

Future email to sysadmins (Score:2)

Microsoft's Scarface (Score:2)

Yet another nifty yet useless prototype... (Score:1)

Aren't most shoes mass produced? (Score:2)

so sad. (Score:1)

BANG! (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Rule 36 (Score:3)

Didn't Penny already create an app for this? (Score:2)

Tiny Feet (Score:2)

Sneaky! (Score:2)

Dummest. Idea. Ever. (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Not gonna work so well (Score:2)

That is nothing... try a little higher.... (Score:2)

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