China Introduces Gait Recognition Technology for Citizen Surveillance

The Chinese government has begun deploying a surveillance system capable of identifying people by their gait or body shape. According to the Associated Press, this system can recognize individuals from up to 50 meters away, even if they are turned away or their faces are hidden.

How the Gait Recognition System Works

The new technology is already being used by police in Beijing and Shanghai. Developers state that the system only needs to observe how a person walks, even from behind or the side, to identify them. It cannot be fooled by slouching, limping, or swaying, as it analyzes the unique movement patterns of the entire body.

The software extracts a person’s silhouette from video footage and analyzes their movements to create a gait model. Currently, the system does not operate in real time. Users must upload video footage to the program, and it takes about 10 minutes to analyze one hour of video. The system does not require any special cameras and can work with footage from standard surveillance cameras.

Expansion of Surveillance Technologies in China

Previously, it was reported that China launched a large-scale program to track vehicles using special RFID tags. Participation in this program is currently voluntary, but starting in 2019, it will become mandatory for everyone.