TECNO is committed to inclusivity, and to ensure that every portrait reflects the true diversity and beauty of people across Southeast Asia.
The research collaboration with ACRC aims to enhance TECNO's Universal Tone technology by incorporating authoritative studies. Targeted surveys in Indonesia and the Philippines will be conducted to establish benchmarks for cultural preferences and to develop precise definitions for the representation of skin tones in Southeast Asian imagery.
Results from the studies will contribute towards refining the cultural resonance of TECNO’s smartphone portrait imaging solutions, truly reflecting TECNO’s brand philosophy of celebrating diversity in skin color, ethnicity, culture, and aesthetics.
Leading the research team is Professor Jack Qiu, Shaw Foundation Professor of Media Technology at NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI). Prof Qiu is also an advisor on Asian Skin Tone and Portrait Aesthetics for TECNO. Other team members include Professor May O. Lwin, Chair, WKWSCI, as well as Associate Professor Elison Lim and Associate Professor Lewis Lim from the Nanyang Business School, NTU.
Professor Qiu said, "Southeast Asia is home to a kaleidoscope of cultures, each with distinct aesthetics and preferences. Our research aims to understand the diverse aesthetic and imaging needs of Southeast Asian consumers."
Tailoring Smartphone Portrait Imaging Technology to Southeast Asian Aesthetics
In the realm of mobile portrait photography, due to economic and technical imbalances, cultural biases and oversight in both photography and digital technology have often marred the true representation of diverse human features. Refusing to blindly follow the mainstream global market, TECNO is committed to genuinely addressing the needs of real consumers from different regions, tailoring its smartphone portrait imaging technology, backed by scientific research, to the unique aesthetic preferences of consumers in emerging markets.
This collaboration marks TECNO’s second major academic collaboration following its successful partnership with the University of Leeds (UK), and its results will be used to enhance TECNO’s Universal Tone technology. Last September, TECNO launched Universal Tone with the aim of championing inclusive multi-skin tone imaging on a global scale. Collaborating with renowned academic institutions, TECNO set a new benchmark for multi-skin tone imaging with the industry's largest and most accurate skin tone database.
TECNO Universal Tone technology has now been applied in the latest TECNO CAMON 30 Series, enabling the device’s cameras to authentically represent diverse skin tones and cultural aesthetics, fulfilling the brand’s aspiration to capture the universal colours and beauty of consumers from different cultures.
General Manager of TECNO Jack Guo emphasized the collaborative vision: "By integrating research findings from the Asian Communication Research Centre at NTU into our Universal Tone technology, we are not just advancing technology but also adapting it to meet the aesthetic needs of different South Asian cultures and markets. This collaboration is a huge step towards driving diverse and inclusive standards of beauty in the global tech industry."
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