Artificial intelligence system used to catch unhygienic chefs in action in China
- Cutting-edge technology recognises poor habits caught on camera and sends an alert to administrators via a mobile app
- It was developed for local authorities in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province
Chefs who smoke in the kitchen or fail to wash their hands are being targeted in eastern China, where local authorities are using artificial intelligence technology to catch them in the act.
The system works by recognising poor hygiene habits that are caught on camera and sending an alert to the administrators via a mobile application, news site Thepaper.cn reported on Friday.
It was developed for authorities in Shaoxing, a city in Zhejiang, based on a six-year project in the province called “Sunshine Kitchen” that allows consumers to see how their food is prepared by caterers, restaurants, hotels and school canteens.
Zhou Feng, director of the Food Service Supervision Department in Shaoxing, told the news site that if the Sunshine Kitchen project were a pair of eyes, the city’s new system would be like giving it a “super brain”.
Combining artificial intelligence algorithm analysis and Internet of Things technology, the system searches camera footage for 18 “risk management” areas.