Just one word and one photo

Facebook has introduced a new research project called TextStyleBrush which uses AI to recreate your handwriting and all it needs is just a single word and a photo of it.

Detecting handwriting from a random surface can be very hard for an A.I. because the difficulty is understanding unlimited text styles for not just the different typography and calligraphy itself, but also for the different transformations, like rotations, curved text, and deformations that happen between paper and pen when handwriting; not to mention background clutter; and image noise. 

The technology behind TextStyleBrush is impressive, but it still has some limitations. Facebook says that the AI still has trouble with text written in metallic objects or characters in different colors. However, the results in the demo are really amazing.

“Although this is a research project, it could one day unlock new potential for creative self-expression like personalized messaging and captions”, Facebook writes.

This technology can be used in a variety of useful applications, like translating text in images to different languages, creating personalized messaging and captions, and maybe, one day, facilitating real-world translation of street signs using AR (Augmented Reality).  You could also turn your handwriting into a font, which is something useful when we need to have our style directly typing on the keyboard or for any other creative use, or more simply for signing digital documents.

However, we must not forget all the negative implications of using this technology such as the ability of copying someone else’s signature or altering crime evidence, and pretending to be another person. This is a weapon for identity thieves. Therefore, we need an effort to improve the current technology to implement countermeasures to make sure our handwriting is actually ours.

Source diyphotography.net