Robust face detection against brightness fluctuation and size variation

Proposes a face detection method intended to be used for a practical intelligent environment and human-interactive robot. Face detection and recognition are very crucial for such applications. However in the real situation, it is not easy to realize the robust detecting function because position, size, and brightness of the face image are very changeable. The proposed method solves these problems by combining correlation-based pattern matching, histogram equalization, skin color extraction, and multiple scale images generation. The authors have implemented a prototype system based upon the proposed method and conducted some experiments using the system. Results support the effectiveness of the proposed idea.