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Q: Find ageing software i can buy. ( Answered 4 out of 5 stars,   4 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Find ageing software i can buy.
Category: Computers > Software
Asked by: jonniev-ga
List Price: $10.00
Posted: 14 Jan 2003 22:59 PST
Expires: 13 Feb 2003 22:59 PST
Question ID: 142892
Hi, 

I want to locate a ageing software program which I can buy. I want to
supply a digital photograph to it and then the software can show me
how i will look in 10-20 years time. Something like the police force
have claimed to use for criminals description.

So far i have only been able to find this 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/tw/items/010221_ageingsoftware.shtml
but not much luck from persuing these links.

I asked the http://www.aghe.org site and they told me this is the 1st
time someone has ever asked them that.

Any links to companies would be great. (and how you found it much
appreciated)

bye
Answer  
Subject: Re: Find ageing software i can buy.
Answered By: jackburton-ga on 15 Jan 2003 05:22 PST
Rated:4 out of 5 stars
 
hello jonniev,
 
Your question reminded of  the James Bond film, "For Your Eyes Only",
and the "Identigraph"! This technology allowed Bond (with the help of
'Q') to construct the villain's face from scratch using a few key
strokes, and then match the face against files from the Suretee,
Interpol, Mossad, CIA and the West German Police. Here's a link to
this shot in the movie, (just for fun):
http://www.jamesbondmm.co.uk/qdepartment/ident1.html
 
 
In answer to your question, I have found a few possibilities for you..
 
=============================================
"Police are using Australian technology to take a missing child's
photograph and show how that child would look 20 years later. They can
also transform a criminal's mug shot to show how the criminal looks
years after a crime. An Australian company, Vision Control
International, has developed these technologies for use around the
world in forensic science."
http://www.publish.csiro.au/helix/cf/issues/TH60A1.cfm
 
"Vision Control specializes in the design and implementation of total
solution computer graphics systems, custom software development, and
other specialised graphics related hardware and software, including
custom three dimensional web page and database design. Two products
for the Law Enforcement and Security market are: FACE - a computerised
facial indenification system used to create facial images from witness
descriptions, for ageing missing persons, for facial reconstruction,
and for facial matching. SHOE - a shoe sole identification system used
to identify shoe types from latents left at crime scenes."
(http://www2.austrade.gov.au/AOD/Page16721.asp)
 
I am guessing you are not in the Security Market, so i doubt this
option would be suitable for you, but i have included the company's
details (below), in case you are interested in contacting them.
 
Vision Control International
Address:
20 Powell Street
SOUTH YARRA, VIC, 3141
Phone: 61 3 9277 5007 
Fax: 61 3 9277 5018 
Email: martha@vci.com.au 
Contact 
Ms Martha McKelvey, Product Manager 
=============================================
 
There is a program available that can be used to show you how you may
look in the future - it is called "Photostyler". Here is a link to a
file that explains how this can be done in a realistic and scientific
way.
"Manipulating Facial Appearance Through Age Parameters" (.pdf)
http://mirror.impa.br/sibgrapi96/trabs/pdf/a36.pdf
"Manipulating Facial Appearance Through Age Parameters" (HTML)
http://216.239.37.100/search?q=cache:6EmWRGM7uFYC:mirror.impa.br/sibgrapi96/trabs/pdf/a36.pdf+morphing+software+facial+age+ageing&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
 
"Requirements for PhotoStyler are at least an 80386 IBM-compatible
with 6MB RAM, Windows 3.1 or higher, at least 20MB of free disk space,
a mouse, and a VGA card. It is recommended, for best results, that you
have an 80486 or Pentium with 8MB or more of RAM, a 200MB or larger
hard disk, and a 24-bit graphics adapter card.....Suggested retail
price is $795 with mail order prices averaging $399. Upgrades are $146
mail order."
http://www.webdevelopersjournal.com/software/photosty.html
 
Company details:
Aldus Corporation 
411 First Avenue South 
Seattle, WA 98104-2871 
Phone: 206 622-5500. 
=============================================
 
There is also another program which is currently being developed by
the Psychology department of St. Andrews University (in the UK). The
software is currently unavailable for all but a limited number of
close research collaborators, although a commercial version will be
available in the near future. You can find out more here:
http://monty.st-and.ac.uk/Software/research.htm
http://perception.st-and.ac.uk/Ageing/ageing.htm
If you are interested in a research collaboration, or would like to be
informed when a commerical  version of this software is available, you
can contact the department via email:
imaging@st-and.ac.uk
=============================================
 
Search strategy:
--Keywords used (in sequential order/Google):
software determine age future
software facial age future
software facial age ageing
morphing software facial age ageing
identikits
identikits software face age
identikits software face
manipulating facial
software face manipulation age
software face manipulation face
=============================================
 
I hope this information is useful to you. 
I very much enjoyed researching your question!
If you need clarification please ask.
Please rate answer accordingly, as it helps us to improve or maintain
the level of service we give you.
Thanks!

Clarification of Answer by jackburton-ga on 22 Jan 2003 05:38 PST
This may also interest you!
 
FACES - Composite Picture Program
"The Ultimate Composite Picture! -  a breakthrough composite picture
software on CD-ROM containing a database of close to 4,000 specially
coded facial features.  
By simply clicking on these features with the mouse, users  can create
endless combinations of FACES of male or female from  any race  in
less than ten minutes !   All of the selected features are
automatically blended together, making the resulting picture look just
like a photographs."
Price: U.S. $79.95 
http://www.SpyWorld.com/Surveil2.htm
jonniev-ga rated this answer:4 out of 5 stars
I think a link with a downlaod would have been 5stars.
Otherwise very good research skills.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Find ageing software i can buy.
From: probonopublico-ga on 14 Jan 2003 23:08 PST
 
Sorry but it's simply not possible to extrapolate how you might look
in 10-20 years time.
Subject: Re: Find ageing software i can buy.
From: jonniev-ga on 15 Jan 2003 00:09 PST
 
Hi, 
I'm sure we have all seen it on the news.  They show us a criminal and
how he might look like.  Obviously i am not looking for an exact
image, but a rough estimate. I dont want to use photoshop techniques
to do so, there must exist mathematical software which taked into
account certain family charectistics and applies them to my face
digitally.  I am certain software like does exist but at what price?
Subject: Re: Find ageing software i can buy.
From: vanniejoy-ga on 15 Jan 2003 09:53 PST
 
I have to point out that the Aldus Corporation was bought out by Adobe
Systems at least 8 years ago, and they discontinued manufacturing
Photostyler at that time, I believe.    The PDF article that
references the software is interesting, and the information in it can
be applied with other software, but the fact that the researcher
refers to a company that's been gone for 8 years makes me a little
skeptical about the completeness of the answer.   (Though I liked the
extra James Bond tidbit)
Subject: Re: Find ageing software i can buy.
From: jackburton-ga on 15 Jan 2003 12:31 PST
 
thank you 'vanniejoy' for your comment. yes, it seems you are right
about that - Aldus Photostyler has in fact been discontinued - My
apologies, 'jonniev'. The web page i obtained this info was dated
2003, so I presumed the info was up-to-date (obviously not).
'Photostyler' now appears to be a trademark for the Ulead Corporation
(www.ulead.com). I have checked out the Ulead's products page and they
have various image editing software and plug-ins
(http://www.ulead.com/products/runme.htm) which may also be interest
to you.  As vanniejoy says, the information in the PDF file can be
similarly applied with other software. Ulead's 'PhotoImpact' is
another program that could probably be used in this way
(http://www.ulead.com/pi/features.htm), though it does not
specifically say so.
 
I have also checked out the BBC article you mentioned, "Ageing
Software", and have checked out the web site of the video effects
company that developed this software (C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures Inc).
You said you didnt have much luck pursuing the links...  Have you
tried getting in contact with the company?? Here are their contact
details:
 
C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures Inc.
488 Wellington Street West, Suite 600
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5V 1E3
Tel:   416.599.2673
Fax:  416.599.1212
Email: info@coredp.com 
Home page: http://www.coredp.com/
 
I hope this information helps you!

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