Meet Face Sensing: the brand new extension that lets you control Scratch projects with your face! This AI-powered feature enables kids to be creators, not consumers, of the technology many of them play with every day: the facial recognition technology that powers face filters, interactive games, and beyond. The privacy and safety of our community remains at the forefront of our minds: data and images are never transmitted outside of your device. We’re excited to see what creative possibilities Face Sensing unlocks for you! Learn how the feature works, how we’re keeping Scratchers safe, and how you can explore these new blocks.

Face Sensing balances privacy and safety with play and imagination. Face Sensing blocks have already been trained on a data set consisting of photos of faces, and will not be “learning” from Scratchers’ data or transmitting any information outside of their devices. Much like Scratch’s Video Sensing blocks, images from Scratchers’ webcams will stay securely in their own browser while they explore this new feature—never stored by or visible to the Scratch Team, the Scratch community, or anyone else.

Face Sensing blocks can “see” where features like noses, ears, and eyes are on your head. You can use those parts of your face to perform actions, guide sprites or costumes, or anything else you can imagine. These blocks open up exciting new possibilities for Scratch projects: you can make an interactive game, like guiding a sprite around obstacles using your nose; a face filter, like a clown costume with a nose, wig, and funky glasses; or something entirely different, like an immersive aquarium where you can blow bubbles and swim with fish.

Some educators who have tried Face Sensing blocks with their students have discovered even more opportunities for Scratch projects. For some students, learning is easier when you can move your body. Face Sensing projects are inherently kinetic, inviting Scratchers to bob their heads, wiggle around, and engage physically with their projects.

We have even seen educators invite students to create their own AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices to support neurodiverse students. Face Sensing gives all kids alternative ways to interact with projects, making these blocks especially engaging to students who struggle with mouse and keyboard inputs.

At Scratch, we’re always working to help kids understand and explore innovative new technologies so they can discover new ways to express themselves and create what they imagine. We are so excited to see the surprising, creative, and unique ways that Scratchers bring Face Sensing to life in their projects. Create a project today to explore these new blocks, and let us know what you think!

Resources

• Lesson Plan | Exploring Scratch & AI: Possibilities & Pitfalls
• Coding Cards | Face Sensing
• Video Tutorial | Exploring AI with Scratch Face Sensing Blocks
• Worksheet | Face Sensing Project Sharing
• Blog | Exploring a Creative, Safe Introduction to Machine Learning