The "real face" of television's Doctor Who has been revealed, according to researchers.
With Matt Smith being replaced by Peter Capaldi on Christmas Day, psychologists at the University of Aberdeen Face Lab have revealed the results of their "face averaging" technology.
Images of all the actors who have filled the role in the long-running BBC show were used to develop the result.
This year's Christmas Day episode of Doctor Who is called The Time of the Doctor and will be the last with Matt Smith as the Doctor. The episode will see the Eleventh Doctor regenerate into the Twelfth Doctor, who will be played by Peter Capaldi.
The episode sees the Doctor and his companion Clara trying to figure out the meaning of a mysterious signal coming from space. The episode will feature an assortment of baddies, including Cybermen, Daleks, Sontarans, the creepy Silence and the even creepier Weeping Angels.
According to Doctor Who folklore, the Doctor can only regenerate 12 times and have 13 lives. Which means that, if you count the War Doctor, this regeneration is the twelfth and last.
Howevers, fans predict that the makers of the show will get around that problem in order to keep the show on our screens for many more years to come.
Doctor Who: Aberdeen researchers reveal 'average' face of Time Lord
BBC News
24 December 2013
Researchers said the face could guide future casting directors
The "real face" of television's Doctor Who has been revealed, according to researchers.
With Matt Smith being replaced by Peter Capaldi on Christmas Day, psychologists at the University of Aberdeen Face Lab have revealed the results of their "face averaging" technology.
Images of all the actors who have filled the role in the long-running BBC show were used to develop the result.
The team said it was a "remarkable" result.
David Robertson, from the Face Lab, said: "It's interesting that the face we have developed is not dominated by the features of any one of the actors to have played The Doctor.
"Rather it represents a combination of the averaged features of each actor to have taken on the role.
"Indeed, this face average could guide future casting directors in their search for the ideal actor to play the Time Lord.
"Of course, Doctor Who takes on an entirely new face each time he regenerates.
"However, in the real world, people keep the same face but it varies considerably across their lifetime, and in photographs. How this relates to our ability to recognise faces is one of the key issues our current research is tackling."
He added: "Evidence has shown that face-averaging could be a powerful tool.
"Previous studies indicate that when you make an average image of a face - essentially creating a prototype with the irrelevant information removed - this significantly enhances the ability of a computer to correctly identify a face.
A composite image showing all 12 actors to have played the Doctor (including John Hurt's recent War Doctor, who precedes the Ninth Doctor but is not considered to be the Eighth Doctor) was released for the 50th anniversary.
Cybermen: A scene from this year's Christmas Day special
"This work has clear implications for the security sector in terms of the development of facial recognition technology."
Colleague Dr Robin Kramer said: "The software we used allows us to identify specific landmarks on each of the images of The Doctor, such as the eyes, nose and mouth - what we call the 'shape' component.
"We then use these landmarks to average all of the images together, also taking into account their colour and texture."
The Doctor Who Christmas special - The Time of the Doctor - will air on BBC One on 25 December at 19:30.
THE TIME OF THE DOCTOR
"Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars. Among them, the Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his companion must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe."
DOCTOR WHO Christmas Special *Exclusive Extended BBC AMERICA Trailer* - The Time of The Doctor - YouTube
BBC News - Doctor Who: Aberdeen researchers reveal 'average' face of Time Lord
