A verification protocol and statistical performance analysis for face recognition algorithms

Two key performance characterization of biometric algorithms (face recognition in particular) are (1) verification performance and (2) and performance as a function of database size and composition. This characterization is required for developing robust face recognition algorithms and for successfully transitioning algorithms from the laboratory to real world. In this paper we (1) present a general verification protocol and apply it to the results from the Sep96 FERET test, and (2) discuss and present results on the effects of database size and variability on identification and verification performance.