No Way, No How

Before Digable was tapped for this project, a list of well-known agencies had turned it down citing there wasn’t enough time before the launch date. Challenge accepted. By combining Digable’s expert knowledge in this technical space with our client’s confidence and brand message, a facial recognition experience was born. The results exceeded expectations and delivery was not only on-time, but early!

A Lot of Moving Pieces

This promotion required a lot before the user even started the experience. Initial engagement was started by the user by sending an MMS of their face to the system. Following that was an age gate response, followed by acceptance of terms. Only then was a unique link generated and sent back to the user to begin the experience. Once started, the user was able to pick between 13 different images, make adjustments, and share out. They could even mail a physical postcard to friends and family!

Computer Vision

Using OpenCV, Digable implemented an algorithm to detect the faces of incoming participants. A series of a thousand faces with optimal and sub-optimal lighting were used to train the system for identification of the eyes for the initial positioning of the photos. After a series of benchmarks and adjustments, the complete process was able to be completed in milliseconds for each photo – ready for action.

Bi-Directional Communication

Digable utilized Twilio – a trusted partner for the MMS/SMS gateway functionality required for this promotion. Bi-Directional communication was necessary in order to provide an initial age gate since the promotion required the user to be at least 21 years of age. Branching response logic was developed in order to age gate, and accept terms before replying back with a unique link for their photo experience.

Raw Horsepower

An application is only as strong as the hardware you run it on. When tasked with developing an application that used computer vision, image processing, and served not only the user, but the real-time moderation of images – Digable could only trust one hardware partner – Hi Velocity. Their agility in setup, and options with bare metal access provided the means to make this all happen – quickly.