Ahmad Foroughi successfully defended his Master Thesis on Avatar, Caricature and Sketch Face Recognition

Using avatars, caricatures and sketches today is one of the most common ways to show nonverbal cues and expresses more beyond plaintexts. Caricatures are exaggerated images of a person and are used in social networks to ridicule or satirize politicians and celebrities and sometimes compliment a prominent media figure. Avatars are electronic images of computer users and an incarnation in human form. In recent years, new technologies have expanded to create a massive virtual world where millions of individuals – or their avatars – can interact in real time. Face sketches are graphic representations of a face and are used by law enforcement agencies to assist in the identification and apprehension of suspects involved in criminal activities.
Therefore, the importance of using avatars for identification and interaction in the virtual world, using caricatures for expressing criticism and praise in social networks and using sketches for identifying criminals in law enforcement officials is more obvious. Despite the importance of using avatars, caricatures and sketches, our knowledge of whether face recognition systems are able to recognize the real face of individuals from avatar, caricature and sketch is low.