SMART ATTENDANCE SYSTEM USING FACIAL
RECOGNIZAION: A Review
Ms. Mulik Siddhi#1, Ms.Wani Aasavari #2, Ms.Taware Priya#3, Ms. Snehal Sabale#4
Vidya Pratishthan’s Kamalnayan Bajaj Institute of Engineering and Technology Baramati
#1
siddhimulik901@gmail.com,#2aasavariwani03@gmail.com,#3priyataware07@gmail.com,#4s
nehalsabale183@gmail.com
Abstract- The human face holds significant
importance as it is a unique identifier for each
individual. Facial characteristics are used in
face recognition systems. Keeping track of
attendance poses a considerable challenge in
educational institutions. Face recognition is a
method that checks if a person's face in an
image matches any faces stored in a database.
The main aim of this project is to create an
intelligent attendance system using an ESP32
Cam for students in an educational institution.
The goal is to enhance the current attendance
system's efficiency and effectiveness. To
achieve this, we utilize the ESP32 Cam module
for face detection and the OpenCV library for
face recognition. This system is designed to
manage attendance using face recognition
techniques, marking a person's presence based
on their face. Furthermore, the system not only
detects individuals but also records their
information in an Excel file.
Keywords:- ESP32 CAM, Face Recognition,
Face Detection, OpenCV, FTDI Module, Jumper
Wire.
Introduction
In colleges, universities, organizations, schools,
and offices, keeping track of who's present is a
really big deal, and it must be done every day.
Usually, people do it by calling out names or
using roll numbers, which means they must do
it one by one. The main idea of this project is
to make a Smart Facial Recognition Attendance
System. This system will change the way we do
it from manual to automatic. The Smart Facial
Recognition Attendance System is a special way
to manage attendance in educational
institutions. It works by recognizing the faces of
students and keeping a record of who's
present. The system uses an ESP32 CAM
Module to detect the faces and OpenCV for
recognizing the faces and marking the
attendance of students. The project's goal is to
create a Smart Facial Recognition-Attendance
system with the help of ESP32 CAM and
Python. With this system, we won't only find
out who's present, but we'll also keep a record
of the information about the person we find.
The main purpose of this project is to create a
system that uses face recognition to keep track
of attendance for students in an institution.
This is done to make the attendance system
better and work more efficiently than it did
before. The most popular attendance method
is based on biometric technology in many
institutions and colleges. Face recognition is
frequently used in video surveillance, access
control, and authentication applications. This
technique uses an ESP32 camera sensor to
track a person’s face continuously. By
eliminating the need for human attendance
recording, this system will reduce the amount
of paperwork. We can utilise RFID tags and the
Internet of Things (IOT) to exploit this system,
allowing us to automatically take attendance.
When a specific student photograph is
recorded, the information are retrieved from
the database. The student attendance may be
updated in the database
COMPONENT DETAILS :
IR MODULE : An infrared module is a type of
electronic gadget that produces light in order
to detect objects in its surroundings. An IR
sensor can detect motion as well as monitor
the temperature of an object. Normally, all
objects in the infrared range emit some type
of thermal radiation. These sorts of radiations
are invisible to our sight, but they can be
detected by an infrared sensor. The emitter is
merely an infrared LED (light- emitting diode),
and the detector is merely an infrared
photodiode. A photodiode is sensitive to
infrared light of the same wavelength as an IR
LED. When infrared light strikes a photodiode,
the resistances and output voltages change in
response to the magnitude of the infrared
light.
FTDI MODULE : The FTDI is a high-quality,
high- performance bi-directional USB to 5V
TTL converter with a 9-pin connector Any
typical full-duplex USB port can be converted
to a 5V TTL signal in either way. The item is
powered by the USB connection and does not
require any other power. It also has
autoturnaround data direction, which
eliminates the requirement for flow
management. When data is present, the
autosensing data turnaround automatically
activates the TTL driver, making the device
plug-and-play. On the USB side, there is a Type
A female connector, and on the TTL side, there
is either a DB9 male connector or a 5-way
terminal block. The package has a separate
terminal block.
ESP32CAMREA MODULE : ESP32 has a lot
more features than ESP8266 and it is difficult
to include all the specificationsin this Getting
Started with ESP32 guide. So, I made a list of
some of the important specifications of ESP32
here. But for complete set of specifications, I
strongly suggest you to refer to the Datasheet.
ESP32 can perform as a complete standalone
system or as a slave device to a host MCU,
reducing communication stack overhead on
the main application processor. ESP32 can
interface with other systems to provide Wi-Fi
and Bluetooth functionality through its SPI /
SDIO or I2C / UART interfaces.
JUMPER WIRES: The main purpose of
jumper wires is to connect two points in any
circuit. All electronics stocks jumper wire in a
variety of lengths. These wires are generally
used with breadboards and other prototyping
tools and it make easy to change a circuit as
needed. Jumper wires are used in our system
for the connection of all the components to
each other.
METHODOLOGY
The methodology of a smart attendance
system involves outlining the systematic
approach used to design, develop,
implement, and maintain the system. Below
is a structured methodology for creating a
smart attendance system.
1.REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS:
• Identify the specific requirements and
objectives of the attendance system. This
includes understanding the target
audience, the environment in which it will
be deployed, and the desired features and
functionalities.
2.RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY:
• Conduct research on available
technologies suitable for the attendance
system, such as RFID, biometric
recognition, or facial recognition.
• Evaluate the pros and cons of each
technology based on factors like accuracy,
cost, scalability, and ease of integration.
3.RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
SELECTION:
• Conduct research on available
technologies suitable for the attendance
system, such as RFID, biometric
recognition, or facial recognition.
• Evaluate the pros and cons of each
technology based on factors like accuracy,
cost, scalability, and ease of integration.
• Select the most appropriate technology
stack based on the project requirements
and constraints.
4.SYSTEM DESIGN:
• Design the architecture of the smart
attendance system, including hardware
and software components.
• Define the data flow, interfaces, and
interaction between different modules.
• Create a detailed schematic diagram and
system flowchart to visualize the system
structure.
5.HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT:
• Design and prototype the hardware
components of the attendance system,
such as sensors, microcontrollers, and
connectivity modules.
• Select suitable hardware components
based on performance, compatibility, and
cost-effectiveness.
• Assemble and test the hardware
prototypes to ensure functionality and
reliability.
6.SOFWARE DEVELOPMENT:
• Design and prototype the hardware
components of the attendance system,
such as sensors, microcontrollers, and
connectivity modules.
• Select suitable hardware components
based on performance, compatibility, and
cost-effectiveness.
• Assemble and test the hardware
prototypes to ensure functionality and
reliability.
7.TESTING AND VALIDATION:
• Conduct comprehensive testing of the
smart attendance system to validate its
performance, accuracy, and reliability.
• Perform unit testing, integration testing,
functional testing, and usability testing to
identify and rectify any issues or bugs.
• Validate the system against real-world
scenarios and user requirements.
• Gather feedback from stakeholders and
end-users to refine and improve the
system.
8. DEPLOYMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION:
• Deploy the smart attendance system in
the target environment, whether it's a
school, workplace, or other institution.
• Install hardware components, configure
software settings, and conduct user
training as necessary.
• Monitor the system during the initial
rollout phase to ensure smooth operation
and address any teething issues.
9.MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT:
• Provide ongoing maintenance and
support for the smart attendance system,
including software updates, hardware
repairs, and troubleshooting.
• Establish a helpdesk or support system
to address user queries and technical
issues promptly.
• Continuously monitor system
performance and user feedback to identify
areas for improvement and innovation.
10.EVALUATION AND OPTIMIZATION:
• Regularly evaluate the smart attendance
system's performance and effectiveness
against predefined metrics and objectives.
• Analyze attendance data and system
usage patterns to identify areas for
optimization and enhancement.
• Incorporate user feedback and
technological advancements to continually
improve the system's functionality and
usability.
By following this structured methodology,
developers can ensure the successful
development, deployment, and
maintenance of a smart attendance system
(b) General Flow Diagram of the System
that meets the needs of its users and
stakeholders. This flowchart outlines the sequential steps
involved in the operation of the Smart
Attendance Management System using ESP32-
FLOWCHART CAM. It begins with system initialization,
proceeds to image capture and facial
recognition, records attendance data, stores
information, and optionally provides display or
notifications. This process ensures efficient and
accurate attendance tracking in various
environments.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

1) RESULT-
The initial step involves the storage of data
within the system, comprising images of
individuals whose attendance is slated to be
managed. This database serves as the
foundational repository from which the system
draws information during the attendance
management process. During system
operation, it adeptly identifies faces by
leveraging the stored data, seamlessly
interfacing with the ESP32-CAM module. The
individual-specific data is meticulously
organized within the system's designated
folder, containing comprehensive details for
each person. Employing this repository, the
(a)Flowchart Diagram
system orchestrates the face recognition
process. Upon detecting a face through the
camera feed, the system initiates a search
within the stored data to find a match based on
facial features. Once a match is successfully
identified, the system dynamically displays the
individual's name below their detected face,
complemented by a bounding square around
the recognized facial region. The ESP32,
integral to the system's functionality, exhibits
exceptional proficiency in recognizing faces
across all samples contained in the saved data.
This exemplary accuracy underscores the
system's reliability and underscores its
remarkable performance.
2) DISCUSSION
Our system excels in capturing facial images
even in low-light conditions, ensuring robust
performance regardless of ambient lighting
constraints. Notably, it exhibits seamless
operation in the presence of background
objects, maintaining optimal functionality
without any noticeable lag. The innovative
feature of automatically saving captured data
directly into Microsoft Excel streamlines the
organizational record-keeping process,
facilitating efficient data management for
subsequent tasks. Furthermore, the system is
designed with a focus on precision and
stability. It refrains from capturing images or
recognizing faces when individuals are in
constant motion without pause. Face
recognition is selectively activated only when a
person stands directly in front of the camera
and maintains a stable position. In this mode,
the system disregards background motion,
prioritizing accuracy and reliability in the face
recognition process.
CONCLUSION
The proposed Attendance system employs
facial detection and recognition to automate
the process of student attendance
management. Face recognition functionality is
implemented using the built-in features of the
Python face recognition module. The system
generates attendance reports, displaying the
recorded timings and the respective student
names, as depicted in Table 2. Additionally, this
information is stored in an Excel sheet for
further reference. Moreover, the system's
ability to store this information in an Excel
sheet adds a layer of accessibility and
convenience for administrators and educators.
The contactless nature of face recognition
aligns with contemporary health and safety
standards, making it particularly relevant in
diverse educational and organizational
settings.
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