Face recognition app to replace signatures in university attendance

ISTANBUL

Students at Istanbul University have developed a facial recognition attendance app that records presence in roughly 10 seconds and could replace paper signature lists.

The five-person team — led by Palestinian student Thaer Alodeh alongside Abdullah Gökalp Çıray, Muhammed İbrahin Kaya, Orhan Efe Kocaoğlu and Efe Baydemir — built the AI-backed software “ATTN” as a course project.

The project will be piloted this year in the Management Information Systems department of the university’s Economics Faculty.

Instructors choose one of three verification levels: Simple login for remote classes, connection to the classroom Wi-Fi, or live facial recognition. Students register with photos given to the university and live frames used for checks are not retained.

Developers report about 99 percent accuracy and say the system can log 1,650 concurrent users in 12 minutes, with individual checks averaging 10 seconds.

The team says the app saves class time, curbs proxy signing and encourages physical attendance. It has drawn domestic and international interest.

Developers hope to expand to universities and private prep schools.

Ten academics in the department will use the system for roughly 120 students this year.