Gender classification performance optimization based on facial images using LBG-VQ and MB-LBP

In the computer vision and machine learning field, especially for gender classification based on facial images, feature extraction is one of the inseparable parts. Various features can be extracted from images, including texture features. Several prior studies show that the Linde Buzo gray vector quantization (LBG-VQ) and Multi-block local binary pattern (MB-LBP) methods can extract texture features from images. The LBG-VQ produces less optimal performance in gender classification on the FEI facial images dataset. On the other hand, the MB-LBP produces more optimal performance when applied to the FERET facial images dataset. Therefore, this study was conducted to discover the gender classification performance when the LBG-VQ and MB-LBP methods are implemented independently or in combination on the FEI facial images dataset. Three preprocessing stages are involved before extracting images' features: noise removal, illumination adjustment, and image conversion from RGB to grayscale. The extracted features are then used as training material for several classification methods, namely Naïve Bayes, SVM, KNN, Random Forest, and Logistic Regression. Then, the K-Fold Cross Validation method is used to evaluate the trained models. This study discovered that the implementation of MB-LBP tends to show a performance improvement compared to the LBG-VQ. Furthermore, the most optimal classification model, with a performance of 91.928%, was formed by implementing Logistic Regression with MB-LBP on LBG-VQ quantized images. In conclusion, this study successfully formed an optimized gender classification model based on the FEI facial images dataset.