A new facial composition system used by UK police forces and developed by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and the University of Stirling has been shortlisted in the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards.

Dr Charles Frowd from UCLan and Professor Peter Hancock from the University of Stirling have developed an alternative facial composite system called EvoFIT.  It is used by witness and victims of crimes to make a picture of the face of a perpetrator.

Its success rate is five times higher than that of the traditional composite system used by police forces and permits witnesses to select whole faces when creating a match; allowing the composition to evolve over time, rather than trying to construct a face from individual features.

The collaborators have been nominated for ‘Research Project of the Year’, which recognises innovative studies that have a far reaching impact in their field.

Dr of Psychology Charles Frowd commented: "All of our hard work has paid off. EvoFIT is producing recognisable images both in the laboratory and in the hands of the intended user – the police. The system is actively helping to detect people who commit crime, making the streets a safer place."

EvoFIT brings together expertise in psychology and computer science and has taken 12 years to develop.  The researchers held six month trial periods with police in Lancashire, Derbyshire and Devon and Cornwall, as well as forces in Romania, with notable success.  This includes helping to identify a suspect in a Lancashire case where a young victim was assaulted.

Professor Hancock said: “The key to our success is that we have applied our understanding of psychology at all stages of the system.  Creating faces by combining features does not work well because we see faces as a whole, thus changing the eyes may affect the appearance of the mouth.  EvoFIT presents whole faces, allowing users to recognise the face, rather than have to try and describe what is wrong with it.”

The collaborators are continuing to improve the performance of EvoFIT and are working on an animated composite that will create moving images suitable for police appeals on TV.

Now in their sixth year, the Times Higher Education Awards celebrate the excellence and achievements of Higher Education institutions throughout the UK. The winners will be announced at the awards dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Thursday 25 November 2010.

Further information: www.evofit.co.uk and Peter Hancock