Japan introduces face recognition technology and platform screen doors for public safety

To ensure safety of people in crowded places, face recognition technology helps to record every visitor.

Universal Studios, the theme park in Japan, provides attractive performance based on Holly Wood movie and opportunity to meet famous characters.

It attracts more than 12 million visitors annually; many of them are frequent guests.

To ensure quick and safe entry of guests, face recognition technology is used at the entrance gates.

Visitors pass the gates after facing the camera installed by NEC. It takes few seconds for a guest to get entry.

Installed in 2007, face recognition technology contributes to relax long time waiting.

Shizuo Sakamoto, an official of the NEC Corporation, said, "After 9/11 terrorism, firstly we have developed our facial recognize technology to the immigration system or E passport system and nationalize system. But now, we are deploying it to the entertainment scenes."

Originally face recognition technology was developed to recognize a large number of public at the gate. It finds human face from various images and recognizes the passerby.

NEC adapted the technology and offered it to amusement sites to solve long waiting time for visitors. After facing to camera, an annual visitor card has been issued, which can be used throughout the year.

The technology helps hassle free entry to guests.

Safety of passengers at the railway platform is also a top priority for Japan.

As large number of people in Tokyo city use train for daily commuting, Kyosan Electric Mfg has developed partial-height platform screen doors at the platform.

The company has made some modifications from its previous design. By downsizing parts and the control gear within the door they succeeded in making more transparent doors with glass.

Passengers feel more comfort while boarding. Also, the company has added digital signage which shows the advertisement or train arrival information.

Takayuki Okazaki, Manager, Passenger Safety Facilities Design Group, Kyosan Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd., said, "Our main aim is to realize more safety railway environment. For example, when we think of new technologies about these platform screen doors we always keep disabled people in mind so that they don't fall off a platform."

The movable step is one of those kinds of technologies for safety. They pursued the best timing and movement of it with careful attention to detail.

The emergency exit is sliding type door. Because that needs less space, passengers can more smoothly get off the train.

When the door closes if there are obstacles or passengers it easily open back for safety.

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Okazaki further said, "We also want to accelerate overseas development with those screen doors. Instead of this partial-height type, full screen doors are popular in foreign countries. But developing full screen doors cost more money. So we want to propose this safety partial-height screen doors."

Platform screen doors can be introduced in countries like India, where the work on metro rail network is ongoing.