Vuzix Blade Teams with Facial Recognition Company to Provide Law Enforcement Solution

Jun 11, 2019 04:42 PM
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Perhaps it's a coincidence that the Vuzix Blade smartglasses look like the sunglasses that a police officer would wear, but a new partnership with an AI software company makes the wearable a perfect fit for law enforcement.

The iFalcon Face Control Mobile system pairs facial recognition software from developed by Dubai-based NNTC with Vuzix's Blade smartglasses and a portable computer pack to serve as an integrated solution for police and security officers.

Capable of detecting as many as 15 faces per video frame in less than a second, iFalcon uses the 8-megapixel camera embedded in the Blade to identify faces and compare them to a database of up to one million unique faces stored on the portable computer.

The portable computer runs on an Intel i7 Core processor and includes a fingerprint scanner. The device has an 8-hour battery capacity (enough for an average work shift) and includes a port for charging the Blade.

"We are very happy with the way Vuzix Blade complements our wearable face recognition solution. First of all, our customers love the product design and features. As a software developer, we appreciate the flexibility, technical and pre-sale support that Vuzix offers. They also have solid vision for the product future that gives a peace of mind to us and the customers as well" said Dmitry Doshaniy, general manager at NNTC, in a statement.

While NNTC's software can run on a variety of devices and cameras, the Vuzix Blade is ideally suited for work in the field, giving users a covert means to scan subjects in the wearer's vicinity.

"The overall design and the see-through waveguide optics of the Vuzix Blade are critical must-have features for deployments into security operations. We're excited to see this customer move rapidly from proof of concept to deployment within security operations," said Paul Travers, president and chief executive officer at Vuzix.

After demonstrating of the system at Minister of Interior Innovation Summit in Abu Dhabi in February, the NNTC placed an order for about 50 Vuzix Blade units for deployment to security personnel in the region.

However, while the iFalcon system demonstrates the capability for augmented reality technology to improve the efficiency of law enforcement and security forces, it also arrives in a climate where consumers and privacy advocates are wary of the tech industry's encroachment on privacy rights.

In other words, there's a Black Mirror story in this somewhere. Or, at least, we should hope not.

Cover image via Vuzix/Instagram

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