Masks no obstacle for new NEC facial recognition system

Japan’s NEC Corp has launched a facial recognition system that identifies people even when they are wearing masks, adapting to a new normal where face coverings have become a key form of protection against the spread of the coronavirus.

The technology firm had already been working on a system to meet the needs of allergy sufferers who wear masks – a common practice in Japan – when the Covid-19 pandemic prompted it to accelerate development.

“Needs grew even more due to the coronavirus situation as the state of emergency (last year) was continuing for a long time, and so we’ve now introduced this technology to the market,” Shinya Takashima, assistant manager of NEC’s digital platform division, told Reuters.