Face recognition system installed to keep out illegals

By Xin Dingding (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-09-17 16:07

The Beijing Capital International Airport will use a face recognition system beginning this Sunday (Sept 20) to stop people from posing as airport staff and sneaking into restricted areas.

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As one of the measures to beef up security for the 60th National Day celebrations, it is expected to prevent possible terrorists from jeopardizing the safety of the public and aircraft, Lu Haifeng, the airport's aviation security department manager, said yesterday.

The face recognition system takes one second to check each person, by comparing selected facial features in a database. It is very accurate, with an error rate of only 0.01 percent, he said.

"The system will be a high-tech wall to help the airport keep out any illegals," he said.

Though the system is widely used in developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, the capital airport is the first domestic airport to install such a system, Lu said.

In the past, Zhuhai airport, and Hong Kong International Airport have installed fingerprint recognition systems for security reasons. The eye iris recognition system has also been used for the same purpose.

But the capital airport picked the face recognition system, partly because airport employees will be more likely to accept such security checks, he said.

So far, seven of these face recognition systems have been installed in the airport's third terminal building, the largest terminal in the country. The system will also be set up in the other two terminal buildings in the near future.