Metro pickpockets beware! China’s hi-tech cameras are watching your every move
A Guangzhou metro line is thought to be the first in the world fitted with real-time, high-res 4K CCTV capable of working with facial recognition software
Life may be about to get a lot tougher for China’s public-transport pickpockets.
A new metro line in Guangzhou, a wealthy city in the southern province of Guangdong, has been fitted with 4K CCTV cameras that enable real-time surveillance of every inch of the train in ultra-high definition.
The 22km route is thought to be the first subterranean train line in the world to be armed with the cutting-edge security system that beams live images to a control room with spectacular clarity.
Not only can passengers’ every move be closely watched, but their most subtle facial expressions are being captured and transmitted in the form of ultra-clear images, without any delay whatsoever. The system, developed by Nufront, a Guangzhou-based technology company, will be rolled out to new metro lines opening in the city.
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The level of detail of the image provided by the cameras is such that facial recognition technology could be used to identify people suspected of crimes. Additionally, artificial intelligence could soon be introduced to monitor the number of passengers inside the compartments and control the flow, according to Huang Peng, a Nufront technical manager.
The system will eventually be connected to police databases, meaning criminals who take metro trips in Guangzhou will be recognised through the cameras, said Huang.
It has been tested on Hong Kong’s MTR railway system and is likely to be deployed there too to bolster passengers’ security, a Nufront executive said.