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The Chinese government has commissioned a system that can identify people based on their body shape or by analyzing their gait when their faces are not visible, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The technology, developed by Chinese company Watrix, is already being used by police on the streets of Shanghai and Beijing. It is another tool in the authoritarian state's well-developed surveillance arsenal.
The system can identify people from cameras up to 50 meters from the target, even if the target has their back turned or their face is obscured. However, effective facial recognition requires high-resolution images.
“You can't fool gait analysis by simply limping, walking with your feet apart or arching your back, because we analyze the characteristics of the entire body,” said Huang Yongzhen, CEO of Watrix. Interview with the AP.
The system developed by Watrix would have an accuracy rate of 94%, according to the company manager.
Chinese police use facial recognition to find people of interest in crowds or identify suspects caught in the act by a surveillance camera.
In Xinjiang, in western China, it is the Muslim population that is subject to strict surveillance and control. Public safety officials in the region have already expressed interest in the technology developed by Watrix, the AP reports.
With information from Associated Press
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