Gait analysis helps to convict thief in Beijing

BEIJING - Based on the analysis of gait (the way a person walks), a suspect surnamed Guo has been convicted for theft by a court in Beijing, Procuratorate Daily reported on Monday.

Guo, who had been convicted of theft before, wore thick clothes, a mask and gloves when committing the offense in order to shield his physical characteristics. He refused to plead guilty after being captured.

Experts at a forensic research institute in Tieling city, Liaoning Province, used video surveillance footage to analyze the suspect's gait. The result was adopted by the procuratorate of Beijing's Haidian district and eventually led to the conviction of Guo, who got a jail term of one year and two months as well as a 5,000 yuan fine ($726).

The gait analysis technology, adopted in China in 2012, has been applied over 150 times so far, the newspaper said.