Police’s new specs just like James Bond’s
It was like a scene from a James Bond movie: A man wearing an innocuous pair of glasses but was actually doing surveillance work or tracking one of the world’s most wanted criminals.
For the Dubai Police, however, such spectacles are used for facial recognition, allowing them to identify those who are on their watch list. The glasses were on display at the 38th edition of Gitex Technology Week, which is running until Thursday at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Wael Assad, a telecommunications engineer at the Dubai Police, likened the specs to a pair in the spy movie series like James Bond or Mission Impossible. He wore the glasses and demonstrated to Khaleej Times how they work by simply looking at a crowd of people visiting the Dubai Police stand. The enhanced glasses are part of Dubai Police’s smart initiatives to keep the UAE safe.
So, how does it work?
A small camera is mounted on the right corner of the glasses. Once the camera is focused on a certain person for two to three seconds, it then takes a photo and sends it via bluetooth or WiFi to a portable mini-computer, which stores a list of “wanted persons” in the UAE.
In essence, it’s like a moving version of the photo systems that are being used at customs or immigration checkpoints. But the biggest improvement is the presence of micro-screens in front of the specs. It’s like you’re looking at a computer monitor in front of your iris.
Once the photo is registered on the micro-computer, you can use the viewfinder with the help of a ‘mouse’ connected to the eye glasses. Then you can select from a menu to check the details of the person, such as ID number, visa status, or if that person has a pending police case.
All the details of the person will be displayed on the glasses in a matter of seconds. If the person has no pending case, the glasses will display that the person is cleared.
Assad said two pairs of smart glasses are currently being tested by the Dubai Police. These specs will be used in areas where there are limited or no fixed security cameras; in highly populated areas like airports, metro stations and parks; and during large events like concerts, conferences and exhibitions.
Assad said the intention of the authorities here were clear: To keep the UAE safe. The logic he said is that those who are law-abiding have nothing to fear, but those who violate the law will find no escape from authorities.