Neuroscientists have deduced how people recognise familiar faces in a development that could help police catch criminals.
Volunteers were shown thousands of images with slightly different facial features and were asked to rank how closely each one resembled a colleague. A three-dimensional image of their workmate was then created and compared with a real 3D image of the same person, resulting in a striking match.
The system, tested in Glasgow, reveals the salient features that people store when they look at someone, such as the shape of the chin or nose and the texture of the skin.
Researchers believe that the system could be used to produce true-to-life pictures of wanted offenders. The researchers believe the system could be used to produce true-to-life pictures of