and posted in Technology

“NEC” launched a facial recognition system that identifies people even when they wear masks, and adapts to the new natural situation, as face coverings have become a main form of protection against the spread of the “Corona” virus.

The tech company was already working on a system to cater to allergy sufferers who wear masks – a common practice in Japan – when the “COVID-19” pandemic prompted it to speed things up.

Assistant Director of Digital Platforms Division at NEC, Shinya Takashima, said: “The needs have grown further due to the Coronavirus case, as the state of emergency lasted (last year) for a long time, so we have introduced this technology to the market.”

The system determines whether a person wears a mask and polishes parts that are not covered, such as the eyes and surrounding areas, to verify the person’s identity.

NEC says verification takes less than one second and claims the accuracy rate is over 99.9%.

The system can be used at security gates in office buildings and other facilities, and the company “NEC” is also experimenting with automatic payments technology in a small unoccupied store at its headquarters in Tokyo.

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