China develops face-scanning police cars

A Chinese university has developed a police car capable of face scanning during patrols, a media reported on Friday.

The intelligent vehicles, developed by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Sichuan province, will be put on trial in June, the Global Times reported.

China's police cars are mostly re-fitted from commercial car models according to the needs of local authorities. The new cars will address many problems resulting from this poor standardisation, said Yin Guangqiang, director of the police-use advanced technology institute at the university.

A host of new technologies has been added to the new model over the seven-month development period for the country's first standardised police vehicle, Yin said.

The car is equipped with rooftop cameras that capture faces within a radius of 60 m, even at a speed of 120 km/h. The images are then scanned through the police database.

Its other functions include detecting vehicles information and identifying mobile phones in its proximity. Its engines also consume less oil and discharge less carbon dioxide.

"The new car is not just a means of transportation. It is more like a smart law enforcement system on wheels," Yin added.