Russian university adopts STC’s facial recognition access control solution

A facial recognition solution from Speech Technology Center (STC) has been adopted by the Stavropol State Agrarian University (SSAU), which is the first university in southern Russia to deploy the technology, according to a company announcement.

SSAU acquired the system thanks to its collaboration with Sberbank, a long-time partner of the university which has helped it put the campus face biometrics project in place.

Sberbank acquired a controlling interest in STC in a 2019 deal.

The solution has been installed and configured at various entrances to the university campus, and uses a Smart Tracker FRS machine learning and computer vision system which can detect and identify visitors going through the university gates with facial recognition.

The system increases the level of campus security as access to the university premises will be restricted to only those who have their data stored on the platform. The system matches an extracted image against stored data of people with authorized access to the university campus to automatically open a gate.

Dmitry Dyrmovsky, CEO of Speech Technology Center, said such a solution is the product of its advanced algorithms as well as its collaboration with some of the leading manufacturers of access control systems.

“The deployment of our face recognition system as part of a campus project could be the starting point for more campus projects throughout Russia. These not only involve the already implemented use case, but also others that are especially relevant today, such as distance exams and remote presentations of qualifying papers. We are happy to be part of a fundamental process for the entire education sector,” he said.

Safer and speedier access

Alexey Chvanov, Manager of the Stavropol branch of Sberbank, and Prof. Ivan Atanov, Rector of SSAU, both expressed excitement over the installation of the solution, and hoped it will ensure safer and speedier access for all.

“…the technologies of the Speech Technology Сenter will ensure not only convenient and quick access, but they will also enable it in a contactless way, which is important in the context of the current epidemiological situation. I am sure that the implementation of this project will address a number of issues related to security and day-to-day activities of the university,” the Sberbank Manager stated.

“Our university includes several functional spaces, including academic buildings, dormitories, and two campuses located in separate areas. Such a large infrastructure required an extremely serious approach to ensuring its security,” the Rector noted.

According to its CEO, Speech Technology Center was the first company to use facial recognition in a sports stadium. He added that the solution is, to date, used in 18 sporting venues, over 70 transport facilities and in eight safe cities. The university has more than 18,000 students and over a thousand employees.

Article Topics

access control  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  computer vision  |  facial recognition  |  Russia  |  SpeechPro