Real and fake smiles can be tricky to distinguish, but researchers have now developed computer software that can spot false facial expressions.

By analyzing the movement of the smile across a person’s face, the software can determine whether or not the expression is genuine, said the study published in a journal. The most significant movements detected by the software were around the eyes – supporting popular theories that a spontaneous, genuine smiles is one that can be seen in a person’s eyes.

“Techniques for analyzing human facial expressions have advanced dramatically in recent years, but distinguishing between genuine and posed smile remains a challenge, because humans are not good at picking up the relevant cues,” said the lead author, Hassan Ugail.

The software works by first mapping a person’s face from within a video recording, and identifying the mouth, cheeks and eyes of the subject. It then measures how these facial features move through the progress of the smile and calculates the differences in movement between the video clips showing real and fake smiles.

“An objective way of analyzing whether or not a smile is genuine could help us develop improved interactions between computers and humans—for example in biometric identification,” he added.

–ians(COURTESY:TOI/BT)