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China can apparently now identify citizens based on the way they walk

China is home to the worlds largest network of CCTV cameras — more than 170 million — and its police have adopted Google Glass-like smart specs to seek out suspects in crowds, but now its surveillance efforts have hit a new level with technology that can apparently identify individuals based on their body shape and the way they walk. The gait recognition technology is already being used by police in Beijing and Shanghai where it can identify individuals even when their face is obscured or their back is turned, according to an AP report. The technology was developed by Chinese AI startup Watrix, which recently picked up a $14.5 million funding round to further develop its systems. CEO Huang Yongzhen told the AP that it can ID individuals at up to 50 meters (165 feet) which, in conjunction with existing facial recognition technology, can help police and surveillance systems operate more efficiently in busy areas. The positive impact is in finding criminals, but theres a less savory edge.  Besides law enforcement, media reports have shown that China has deployed surveillance technology for more sinister purposes that include controlling its people. In particular, the government has been criticized for the way it uses its databases and facial recognition tech to police Chinas ethnic minorities.  A system deployed in Xinjiang — a Western province with a population of some 10 million Uighur Muslims — is reportedly designed to notify authorities when target individuals go beyond their home or place of work, according to Bloomberg. China stands accused of detaining as many of one million Muslims in re-education camps in Xinjiang. The province, which includes a number of cities that are located closer to Baghdad than to Beijing, has been the scene of unrest and ethnic tension in the past, and thats one reason why the government has deployed these systems. It isnt clear, however, whether the gait analysis tech has made its way to Xinjiang at this point. If not yet, youd imagine it will soon. Chinas CCTV surveillance network took just 7 minutes to capture BBC reporter


Chinese authorities have begun deploying a new surveillance tool designed to identify people by how they walk, or the shapes of their body. Adding to the already staggering number of surveillance cameras — many of which use bleeding edge optics and facial recognition technologies — China is already using the tool on the streets in its two largest cities, Beijing and Shanghai. It, again, raises concern among privacy advocates about how far the government is willing to go to keep tabs on its citizens. Its our cool new gadget site. Huang Yongzhen, CEO of Watrix, the company that designed the system, says it can identify people from up to 50 meters (165 feet), even when their back is turned or their face is covered. The tool would fill gaps in current surveillance technology, that needs close-up, high resolution images of a persons face to work. Watrix requires only a clear view of the person walking, even from the back or side. You dont need peoples cooperation for us to be able to recognize their identity, Huang told the Associated Press. Gait analysis cant be fooled by simply limping, walking with splayed feet or hunching over, because were analyzing all the features of an entire body. The company has raised some 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) already and is currently being used to thwart petty crime, such as jaywalking, and identify potential fugitives in crowds. Down the line, security officials say they are developing an integrated national system of surveillance camera data, of which the new gait identification system would be added. Chinese gait recognition tech IDs people by how they walkon Associated Press