New Surveillance Tool: Gait Recognition

New Surveillance Tool: Gait Recognition

New technology by a Chinese artificial intelligence company is analyzing the way a person walks as a means of identification.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Nov 12, 2018

Chinese authorities have begun to deploy a new surveillance tool called "gait recognition" software that uses people's body shapes and how they walk to identify them, even when their faces are hidden from cameras.

The software is already being used by police on the streets of Beijing and Shanghai and is part of a push across China to develop artificial intelligence and data-driven surveillance that is raising concerns about how far the technology will go.

The software, built by Chinese artificial intelligence company Watrix, extracts a person's silhouette from video and analyzes the silhouette's movement to create a model of the way the person walks. It doesn't require special cameras — the software can use footage from surveillance cameras already in place to analyze gait.

Watrix chief executive officer Huang Yongzhen said the system can identify people from up to 50 meters away, even with their back turned and their face covered.

"Gait analysis cannot be filled by simple limping, walking with splayed feet or hunching over, because we are analyzing all the features of an entire body," Yongzhen said.

For now, the technology isn't capable of identifying people in real-time yet. Users must upload the video into the program, which takes about 10 minutes to search through an hour of video.


About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

  • Security Today Announces 2025 CyberSecured Award Winners

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 CyberSecured Awards winners. Sixteen companies are being recognized this year for their network products and other cybersecurity initiatives that secure our world today. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.