Tag: ‘Security’

NEC’s drive-thru face recognition system

20 Jul 2007

Drive-thru face recognition system -- On July 19, electronics giant NEC announced it has developed the world's first automated border control system that uses facial recognition technology capable of identifying people inside their automobiles. The system is already in operation at checkpoints on the Hong Kong - Shenzhen border.

Built around NEC's NeoFace biometric face recognition system, as well as NEC's electronic passport technology, the system is designed to boost the speed and efficiency of Hong Kong Immigration Department operations by allowing residents with microchipped national ID cards to remain in their vehicles while automated cameras verify their identities. Hong Kong residents aged 11 or over are required by law to carry a national ID card (HKID), and the recently issued "smart" IDs are embedded with chips that contain biometric and personal data.

The system works by first reading a vehicle?s license plate as it approaches a border gate. Because each vehicle in Hong Kong is registered to an individual driver, a simple automated database check determines who the driver should be. Next, the cameras scan the face of the driver and a database search is performed. If there is a match, the immigration process is completed and the gate opens, allowing the vehicle to pass through.

For now, NEC's setup only works with truck drivers, but coming improvements promise the ability to identify up to 8 passengers per vehicle. The cameras have been installed at 8 of the 40 border gates on a new road connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen, with all 40 gates expected to be upgraded by August.

NEC eventually hopes to develop a face recognition system so quick and accurate that it would eliminate the need for fingerprinting.

[Sources: Softbank Business + IT, NEC press release]

Nanotext: Holographic print gets 30 times finer

02 Feb 2007

Nanotext --- On February 1, Toppan Printing unveiled new nanotext printing technology for inserting microscopic text into holographic images. The company says they plan to use nanotext to provide an extra layer of security to their "Crystagram" holographic anti-counterfeit technology. Test production is set to begin later this month.

Toppan's holographic nanotext printing uses electron beams (EB) to print characters 30 times smaller than possible with existing "microtext" technology. With a resolution of about 100 nanometers, it is now possible to print more than 20 holographic characters in a space the width of a human hair (about 80 microns).

Holograms have long been used as an effective method for preventing the counterfeit of items ranging from gift certificates to credit cards to luxury brand products, but organizations find themselves locked into a race with counterfeiters that are quick to adopt new technologies. Nanotext, Toppan argues, provides the next hurdle for counterfeiters to overcome.

Toppan is now working on the technology necessary for mass production, and full market release is scheduled for autumn 2007. The company is aiming for first-year sales of 300 million yen ($2.5 million).

[Source: Toppan press release]

Reborg-Q to keep the peace at shopping malls

28 Nov 2006

Reborg-Q -- On November 27, Sohgo Security Services (ALSOK) unveiled a new security system that relies on teamwork between robots and human security guards. The system, called Reborg-Q, will be put into action at AquaCity shopping mall in Odaiba (Tokyo) in mid-December.

The Reborg-Q security robot, which is an upgraded version of ALSOK's Guardrobo D1, weighs 90 kilograms (200 lbs) and measures 130 x 65 x 70 cm. It can be programmed to automatically patrol a preset course, or a joystick can be used to control it remotely. The robot can also be equipped with a function to control elevators, enabling it to move from floor to floor while making its rounds.

While on patrol, four cameras mounted in the robot's head and shoulders record video, and its sensors detect the presence of humans, water leaks and fire. When the robot encounters something suspicious, it alerts a computer in the security room and sends video. Human security guards view the video footage sent by the robot and determine how to respond.

Equipped with communication functions, the robot can also provide services to the people it is watching. A touch-screen embedded in the robot's chest can be used to display information about lost children and other data about the surroundings, and a voice synthesizer enables the robot to tell the time, provide weather data and make promotional announcements.

In addition, a contactless FeliCa card reader embedded in the robot's right shoulder means it can be used to check company IDs and verify the identity of employees at company entranceways. And like Guardrobo D1, Reborg-Q can also be equipped with a fire extinguisher.

Each robot costs about 380,000 yen ($3,200), so the initial cost of a system is in the 1 to 2 million yen ($8,500 to $17,000) range. The company plans to deploy the Reborg-Q system at 10 locations around Japan in 2007.

[Source: Robot Watch]

Fingerprint sensor in your wallet

28 Jul 2006

Fingerprint sensor by Seiko EpsonSeiko Epson has developed a paper-thin fingerprint sensor measuring 0.2 millimeter in thickness, which may help bring an extra level of security to a range of items in the future. When touched, the sensor reads fingerprint patterns based on the faint electric current emanating from the user's fingertip.

The fingerprint sensor's ultrathin profile means it can easily be incorporated into a variety of commonly used items. Among the applications that Seiko Epson is targeting are self-authenticating credit cards, in which a tiny on-card processor is used to compare the captured fingerprint data with the user's fingerprint data stored in an embedded memory. A non-matching fingerprint would render the card unusable, preventing abuse in the case of loss or theft.

The company aims to commercialize the sensor by 2010.

[Source: Nikkei Net]

Soccer ball-shaped safe homes

03 Apr 2006

BarrierAn assortment of model "safe" homes shaped like soccer balls are on display at a home exhibition in suburban Gifu. The homes -- named "Barier" by manufacturer Kimidori Kenchiku -- are 32-sided polyhedrons encased in stainless steel. According to the company website, Barier's bulletproof construction is resistant to earthquake, typhoon, fire, and terrorist attack, and its ability to float in water makes it floodproof. When buried underground, Barier can be used as a tornado or bomb shelter. The price tag includes a mini-kitchen, a bed and two 15-inch LCD TVs, so you can be sure to catch all the World Cup action no matter what transpires outside.

[Source: Jiji, Kimidori Kenchiku]