Invention could be the end of bad photos
Boffins have created a machine which can in one click turn an Ugly Betty into an Angelina Jolie.
The "Beauty Machine" digitally alters a photo of a 'normal' face into one which could grace the cover of glossy magazines.
It uses a complex algorithm to subtly alter facial features such as ratios of the nose, chin and distance from ears to eyes to make the face more desirable.
But the experts behind the research say the photo retains an unmistakable similarity to the original picture ... just better looking.
It is hoped that in the future the technology could be built into digital cameras meaning you never have to see a bad picture of yourself.
"Beauty, contrary to what most people think, is not simply in the eye of the beholder," says lead researcher Prof. Daniel Cohen-Or of the Blavatnik School of Computer Sciences at Tel Aviv University.
"Beauty can be quantified by mathematical measurements and ratios. It can be defined as average distances between features, which a majority of people agree are the most beautiful,
"I don't claim to know much about beauty. For us, every picture in this research project is just a collection of numbers."
It is hoped that in the future the software may be able to guide plastic surgeons, aid magazine cover editors, and even become a feature incorporated into all digital cameras.
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