NEC provides demo real-time facial recognition system for 5G lab

NEC has announced that the DOCOMO 5G Open Lab OKINAWA has provisioned a demo facial recognition system leveraging Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) to enable instantaneous face recognition over mobile networks.

The technology can be used to deploy a temporary facial recognition system, such as at an event venue, without installing cables. The demo system dynamically optimizes band frequency allocation according to need, expanding network bandwidth and switching to high-definition images when people or a behavior is detected, according to the announcement.

The DOCOMO 5G Open Lab OKINAWA is a 5G innovation center run by NTT DOCOMO, which provides free technical verification environments, including 5G base stations, for companies and groups in the DOCOMO 5G Open Partner Program. NEC has provided the lab with 5G base stations using the 4.5 GHz frequency band.

“NEC will continue to develop and offer a variety of solutions as a top vendor of domestic mobile core networks in the 5G era and to contribute to the expansion of the DOCOMO 5G Open Partner Program, while taking advantage of our experience and knowhow,” says Kazuhiro Tagawa, General Manager, Network Solutions Division, NEC Corporation.

The demo system includes the NeoFace AI engine, a Context-aware Service Controller, and NEC’s Image Analysis and Behavior Detection System, and uses a virtualized Evolved Packet Core (vEPC).

A partnership including Intel jointly unveiled an MEC platform with facial recognition developed through collaboration on 5G technologies in late 2017.

NEC President and CEO Takashi Niino called for industry, consumers, and governments to work together to formulate reasonable policy around facial recognition.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  biometrics at the edge  |  edge computing  |  facial recognition  |  NEC  |  NeoFace  |  real-time biometrics