Police in China using facial recognition glasses

For the past two months police in China have been using dark sunglasses outfitted with facial recognition technology to scan faces of travelers passing though Zhengzhou train station. The glasses are linked to a central database which contains details of criminal records.

According to New Scientist, Liu Tianyi of LLVision, the firm that developed the GLXSS Pro smart glasses, says the glasses are very light so the police officers can wear them all day.

The glasses are designed for police use. They have a small camera attached on the right-hand lens and are connected by a cable to a tablet device with software to search faces in the central database looking for a match with suspects.

Using the technology, police can view an individual’s personal details, including name, ethnicity, gender and address. They can also review if the suspect is wanted by the police, and according to a report in The Telegraph, even their recent Internet history.

In related news, between three and four thousand police officers in China are piloting panoramic body cameras with built-in facial recognition technology. The cameras are provided by Beijing-based start-up Nebula Science and Technology, and provide “720 degree” high-definition footage to help police identify suspects and gather video evidence.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  China  |  facial recognition  |  privacy  |  smart glasses  |  surveillance