Increasing validation accuracy of a face mask detection by new deep learning model-based classification

Abstract

During COVID-19, wearing a mask was globally mandated in various workplaces, departments, and offices. New deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) based classifications were proposed to increase the validation accuracy of face mask detection. This work introduces a face mask model that is able to recognize whether a person is wearing mask or not. The proposed model has two stages to detect and recognize the face mask; at the first stage, the Haar cascade detector is used to detect the face, while at the second stage, the proposed CNN model is used as a classification model that is built from scratch. The experiment was applied on masked faces (MAFA) dataset with images of 160x160 pixels size and RGB color. The model achieved lower computational complexity and number of layers, while being more reliable compared with other algorithms applied to recognize face masks. The findings reveal that the model's validation accuracy reaches 97.55% to 98.43% at different learning rates and different values of features vector in the dense layer, which represents a neural network layer that is connected deeply of the CNN proposed model training. Finally, the suggested model enhances recognition performance parameters such as precision, recall, and area under the curve (AUC).