Shape Detection API

Photos and images constitute the largest chunk of the Web, and many include recognisable features, such as human faces, text, or QR codes. Detecting these features is computationally expensive, but, particularly on mobile devices, hardware manufacturers have long been supporting these features. This API allows accessing hardware-accelerated detectors where available. This is expected to be in origin trials in Chrome 70.

Comments

Support for this API is dependant on hardware acceleration features that vary by operating system. BarcodeDetector: Android*, macOS (improved accuracy in 10.13+) FaceDetector: Android, macOS (improved accuracy in 10.13+), Windows 10 TextDetector: Android*, macOS 10.11+, Windows 10 * Requires a device with the Play support libraries installed.

Demos

• https://paul.kinlan.me/face-detection/
• https://paul.kinlan.me/barcode-detection/
• https://paul.kinlan.me/detecting-text-in-an-image/

Documentation

• https://wicg.github.io/shape-detection-api/
• https://wicg.github.io/shape-detection-api/text.html

Specification

Editor's draft

Status in Chromium

Blink components: Blink>ImageCapture

Behind a flag (tracking bug) in:

• Chrome for desktop release 74
• Chrome for Android release 74
• Android WebView release 74

Consensus & Standardization

• Firefox: Public support
• Edge: No public signals
• Safari: No public signals
• Web Developers: Positive

Owners

• reillyg@chromium.org
• mcasas@chromium.org
• xianglu@chromium.org

Last updated on 2019-02-20