Classification of humans into multiple age categories from digital images

The present invention includes a method and system for automatically extracting the multi-class age category information of a person from digital images. The system detects the face of the person(s) in an image, extracts features from the face(s), and then classifies into one of the multiple age categories. Using appearance information from the entire face gives better results as compared to currently known techniques. Moreover, the described technique can be used to extract age category information in more robust manner than currently known methods, in environments with a high degree of variability in illumination, pose and presence of occlusion. Besides use as an automated data collection system wherein given the necessary facial information as the data, the age category of the person is determined automatically, the method could also be used for targeting certain age-groups in advertisements, surveillance, human computer interaction, security enhancements and immersive computer games.