Brain on the Chip: Math Behind Face ID

Your face as a password

Chapter 1

Painting your face with invisible dots

Chapter 2

Turning your nose into numbers

Chapter 3

The neural network that learns you

Chapter 4

Outsmarting the tricksters

YOUR GOAL

Master of Your face as a password

Ch 1 · Painting your face with invisible dots

marcus Reading the invisible light show

marcus Apple Face ID

Thirty thousand dots, Shining in the dark, Unlock with a glance.

marcus The invisible flashlight shining on you

Reading the invisible light show

marcus A custom camera captures the pattern of infrared dots to read your face's shape.

Throwing thirty thousand tiny stars

marcus A specialized projector beams thousands of invisible infrared dots to map your facial contours.

Paint Your Password

BETA

marcus Paint the facial grid to discover how math turns your face into a secure password.

Fun Fact

Infrared light: Humans cannot see it, but many animals like pythons use infrared vision to hunt in total darkness.

Gossip

Which biometric unlock method feels most futuristic to you?

Quiz

Why does Face ID use infrared light instead of visible light to map your face?

marcus Throwing thirty thousand tiny stars

Quiz

Which technology is used by the flood illuminator to light up your face in the dark?

marcus The brain on the chip

Quiz

What physical feature of the projected dot pattern allows the system to determine the 3D shape of your face?

Quiz

Who invented the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology in 1977?

Quiz

What is the main purpose of the infrared camera in a facial recognition system?

Quiz

Approximately how many invisible infrared dots does the dot projector beam onto a user's face during a Face ID scan?

Quiz

In which year did Apple introduce the Secure Enclave to isolate cryptographic operations?

Quiz

Where is your facial recognition data processed and stored on modern smartphones?