For some time, citizens hoping to trick facial recognition technology have worn masks to cover the bottom halves of their faces.
As COVID-19 has ripped through China, masks are becoming commonplace as people return to work amid ongoing virus fears. One company says it has developed facial recognition technology that can identify a person even if they’re wearing a mask.
China-based Hanvon says its breakthrough is more about public health than surveillance. By connecting to a temperature sensor, the system can identify a person’s body temperature, a feature the Ministry of Public Security may utilize to identify sick people.
After rounds of testing, the system can now identify 95% of masked subjects, compared to 99% of subjects without.
Despite this development, it still struggles to identify those donning both a mask and sunglasses.
