Real Face (3D - a mask)

2018: Sale of realistic masks

In November, 2018 it became known of sales of the hyper realistic masks produced by small Japanese company REAL-f Co. Unusual products drew attention of developers of the systems of face recognition and royalties of Saudi Arabia.

The idea of production of naturalistic masks came to the founder of REAL-f Co company Osamu Kitagawa when he worked in the company which is engaged in production of printing machines.

The REAL-f Co company sells the masks not distinguishable printed on the 3D-printer from a human face

I wanted to make the copy of the person — says Osama Kitagave. — I wanted to turn the two-dimensional image into three-dimensional. It would be much more interesting.

In 2009 he left the company and two years was engaged in development of unique technology.

Process of mask preparation begins with the fact that on the basis of three-dimensional photos the prototype from plaster is created. After that the mold is improved tools and plastic polymer is atop applied. On creation of a mask which reflects all parts of the person including skin color, a time, small wrinkles, capillaries in eyes, color of an iris, leaves on average two weeks. Its thickness turns out 1-2 mm.

Founder of REAL-f Co Osama Kitagava and his mask

Every year the company in which 5 people work sells more than 100 masks. Among her clients:

• advertizing agencies which sell masks of celebrities on different actions;
• developers of the systems of face recognition who order masks of the employees to use them at a development stage;
• royalties of Saudi Arabia who ordered masks as an alternative to a portrait.

According to Kitagava, orders arrived also from the medical institutions and people having scars on the person. But REAL-f Co. did not develop yet technology which allows to create masks from soft materials, such as silicone.

For example, one Japanese automobile company ordered the mask representing the sleeping person to improve a sensing technology of the person of the driver when he falls asleep, - Kitagava told.

The cost of one mask is ¥300,000 (about 174 thousand rubles), each following copy costs ¥60,000 (about 35 thousand rubles).^{[1] [2]}

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