Police use software straight from Hollywood

We’ve all seen movies over the years with fingerprint sensors, retina scanners and facial recognition software, and we have witnessed these coming to fruition first-hand, with the likes of Touch ID etc. Well, prepare to be dazzled as Leicestershire police takes a step into the future with their own facial recognition software.

The software itself is NEC’s NeoFace software and it is said to be able to scan through any known criminals stored on its database to by sorting through measurements of key facial features. It’s seen here sorting through an ancient clay army, and shows the power of the software, appearing to be second to none to what is already out there. In the video itself, they state it can scan 1,000,000 faces a second and has been put into practice in border control and surveillance throughout Asia.

It’s a little intimidating knowing this software is out there and I hope it’s used in the best of scenarios, like catching criminals and not spying on the world around us. It is, of course, exciting to know that the world we live in can make such software, making us all feel that little bit safer.

Leicestershire police Chief Inspector Chris Cockerill said;

‘We’re very proud to be the first UK Police force to evaluate this new system. Initial results have been very promising and we’re looking forward to seeing what can be achieved throughout the six month trial.’

The evidence cannot yet be used in a court of law, but I am sure we will see some development in the laws to allow this in the future.

Image; NEC