Coronavirus: Japan firms focus on contactless technologies amid pandemic
- As country attempts to avoid further infections, technology is being deployed to limit contact
Contactless technologies have come into the spotlight amid the spread of the new coronavirus in Japan as people have become more conscious of the risk of infection with the pneumonia-causing virus by touching doorknobs and buttons in buildings.
While wearing a face mask has become normal, Glory Ltd, a money-changer manufacturer, has developed an advanced facial recognition technology that is capable of distinguishing people with part of their face covered with a mask.
Glory, based in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, said it envisions using the new technology for walk-through entry control at offices, for example.
The new technology detects the shape of each person’s eyes, forehead and nose – the area that is not usually covered by a face mask – with the support of artificial intelligence and confirms identity after advance recognition of people’s faces, it said.
The company said it will put the new product on sale in June at a suggested retail price of 2.2 million yen (US$20,600).
Since Glory developed facial recognition systems in 2003, its products have been used at about 1,000 locations in Japan including hospitals, supermarkets and nursing care facilities.