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Panasonic to provide additional automated facial recognition gates for passport control in Japan

September 17, 2019

Panasonic Corp. will provide additional automated facial recognition gates for airports in Japan and also for expanded use in departure procedures for foreign travelers, according to a press release. The additional order will bring the total number of automated gates to 203 units across the country.

Without the need for prior registration of biometric data, the system compares photographic data of the traveler's face in the IC chip embedded in the passport with an image taken at the facial recognition gate to verify identity. According to the Ministry of Justice, approximately 80% of all Japanese travelers use Panasonic's facial recognition gates.

To improve usability, Panasonic has developed the following features in collaboration with external research institutes such as universities.

1) Easy-to-use gate units for first-timer users and the elderly with improved usability.

• A new passport reader that accepts passports in any orientation.
• An ergonomic, all-in-one compact design of the facial recognition gate that improves usability.
• Various terminal screen layouts for the operation and management of the system that can be selected according to examination procedures.

2) A high performance facial recognition engine and fraud detection function.

• A facial recognition engine that can deal with appearance-altering variations of the users.
• Ability to detect unauthorized entry such as tailgating.

3) Spatial design and overall service design that enable the optimum arrangement in a limited space.

• Flexible layouts in accordance with the number of units and the installation area.
• User experience design throughout the immigration examination area.

Photo courtesy of Panasonic Corp.