Japanese company makes system that recognises people through masks

World has moulded itself as perthe new normal. Masks have become part of our lives courtesy the COVID-19 virus. Though they pose minor inconvenience they are absolutely necessary for public health. There have been many tech innovations in the last year alone to help us cope with life with the pandemic, but this one is sure to raise questions from privacy advocates.

A Japanese company has developed a facial recognition systemthat is capable of recognising a person even when he/she is wearing a mask! NEC Corp, the system-maker has been mentioned in news reports as saying that main purpose of the software is to help people with allergies to navigate through world that is in increasing need of contactless behaviour.

Wearing a mask has been a common practice in Japan even from before the pandemic.

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The system focusses on the uncovered parts of the face and recognises a person from his eyes and cheekbones. For this system to be effective, the person needs to submit his photo in advance.

The company has not disclosed the price of the system but its customers already include Lufthansa and Swiss International Airlines.

NEC Corp claims that its facial recognition system has an accuracy of more than 99.9 per cent.