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How to scan your actual skin color on your smartphone
Hello and thank you for your question in regards to how to scan your actual skin colour on a smartphone. In short, the main components needed to achieve skin tone detection are a steady light source, a CCD detector, a system processor, and a camera lens. In smartphones, the camera's flash acts as a calibrated light that eliminates shadows and ambient lights, and records the colour values of the light reflected off of the skin surface.
METHODOLOGY
I have ensured to limit my research to recent and reputable sources that include industry reports, expert articles, and app websites. These publications include TechCrunch, Geeky Gadget, DP Review, and the University of Washington. However, after extensive research, I have determined that information on specific algorithms or measurement methods in this field is not revealed by companies or experts and is kept confidential. Information on the colour values to import to reflect the true tone of the skin are also not publicly available.Moreover, it was difficult to find exact relevant information as many companies involved in the field are keeping this information private. Further information on some of the fundamentals within the concepts discussed below was not accessible without the purchase of reports or books. Nevertheless, I have provided information on similar apps and advances in technology and how they used colour calibration.
Next, I have broadened my research to not include devices as well that fit the criteria. I understand that the interest is in smartphones themselves; however, I did include one example of a colour digitizing device that works alongside smartphones, and how it uses light to calibrate colours, which may prove to be helpful. Finally, I have included the fundamentals of colour digitizing that is most relevant to this technology. Further details on these fundamentals specific to skin-tone detection apps were not publicly available without purchases of reports. Please see below for my findings on the topic.
FINDINGS
In one example, the smartphone app Nix, allows for accurate scanning of a shade by calibrating to return an exact colour. This eliminates any inaccuracies caused by shadows or lighting changes using a calibrated light source such as a phone's flash function. The app is able to save colours/tones scanned, share them by email or social media, as well as compare them to colours within its library. Calibration is used through a light source such as flash to block out all ambient light and capture the true tone of the colour.
Another aspect in which this technology has been used is through BiliCam which is used to detect newborn jaundice. This is relevant to the topic as the app does so by detecting skin tone change in newborns. Discoloration in the skin, which turns towards yellow, is detected by a smartphone camera and flash using the app and a colour calibration card (size of a business card); the card is placed on the newborn's stomach. In this example, calibration is used in the form of a colour card to determine the inclination of yellow in the skin. The photo is then sent to the cloud and analyzed by machine-learning algorithms. Another app that uses colour cards to determine the true shade of the colour is TechKon. It requires the user to install the app, then place the colour card on the desired surface. Next, the camera will detect its exact colour tone.
Additionally, the Palette Cube colour digitzer is a palm-sized cube that captures the exact tone of any colour simply by placing it on a surface and pressing one button. This uses calibration by red, green, and blue light pulses to reflect off the surfaces. It, then, records the values of the light that reflects back through its aperture to find the true shade. It provides colour in RGB, CMYK, HEX, LAB, and LRV formats. The colour is determined using an internal light source and detector.
Colour calibration can also be used by installing calibration colorimeter smartphone apps such as ColourTrue and SpyderGallery. The apps work in correlation with their appropriate calibration colorimeter softwares.
Overall, the main components needed to achieve skin colour recognition are a steady light source, a CCD detector, a system processer, and a camera lens. All of which are present in smartphones.
COLOUR DIGITIZING
One of the fundamental methods of digitizing colour in devices such as smartphones begins by converting colour into numbers. This is done as colour can be represented by digital bits. Once the colours are converted into three sets of numbers, the numbers need to be converted into binary. Each number represents the amount of red, green, and blue present in the colour. This particular system is called RGB. For example, in the case of a completely white colour, the binary number will be 0000, while with a brown colour, the binary will be 0100 (with the one representing the presence of the colour red). In relation to smartphones directly, colour digitizers can be purchased separately to suit the phone's model.
However, following an extensive research, information on the colour values to import to reflect the true tone of the skin are not publicly available.
CONCLUSION
To summarize, the main components needed to achieve skin tone detection are a steady light source, a CCD detector, a system processor, and a camera lens. In smartphones, the camera's flash acts as a calibrated light that eliminates shadows and ambient lights, and records the colour values of the light reflected off of the skin surface.
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