Dr. Kaida Xiao, an Associate Professor in Colour and Imaging Science from the School of Design and PACE at the University of Leeds, partnered with TECNO on an exciting project to ensure smartphone cameras can accurately represent all skin tones in photographs.  

The project, conducted in partnership with the School of Design and the Leeds Institute of Textile and Colour (LITAC), was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona. The centrepiece of this initiative is the groundbreaking Multi-Skin Tone Colour Card, which dramatically enhances TECNO Universal Tone technology to better capture diverse skin tones, addressing a gap in current mobile photography capabilities.  

For years, many smartphone cameras have struggled with overexposed or desaturated images that fail to accurately reflect the beauty of skin tone diversity. Despite advancements in AI, the technology has often been trained on biased data, leading to inconsistent and inaccurate depictions of darker and minority skin tones. TECNO recognised this challenge and partnered with Dr. Xiao to develop a more inclusive solution through the creation of the Multi-Skin Tone Colour Card. This revolutionary tool leverages advanced algorithms and colour science to adjust for various lighting conditions and skin tones, producing vibrant and authentic images for all skin types.  

“With the help of unbiased data, we’ve been able to integrate advanced AI into TECNO’s camera system, specifically trained to capture the beauty of diverse skin tones.
Academic research has a major role in meeting the needs of society, and through collaborations with leading enterprises like TECNO, we continuously discover new ways of implementing our knowledge.” 

Dr.Kaida Xiao

Associate Professor in Colour and Imaging Science

The Multi Skin Tone Colour Card is constantly expanding and will be enhanced and expanded to be even more inclusive with the continued collaboration between Dr Kaida Xiao and TECNO in more emerging markets like Saudi Arabia.  

The partnership between Dr. Kaida Xiao, the University of Leeds, and TECNO exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and the impact of research-driven innovation. At PACE, we are proud to support our academics in initiatives that advance technology and contribute to meaningful societal change.  

Dr. Xiao’s expertise in colour science enriches PACE’s academic programs. As the lead for our colour courses and a recognised expert in the field, Dr. Xiao brings unmatched knowledge and insight to our curriculum, including the upcoming course, Introduction to Colour: From Theory to Practice.  Dr. Xiao is helping shape the future of colour science and drive positive change across academia and industry.