Face recognition

Face recognition technology is set to improve security in public places such as train stations and airports as a result of a partnership between BAE Systems and Surrey-based firm OmniPerception.

The team's ground breaking research will improve suspect identification on CCTV footage and develop lip movement and speech pattern recognition technology. This new combination of lip reading and speech recognition capabilities offers law enforcers ways of securing valuable evidence about a suspect's identity from CCTV - faster and more accurately than has ever been possible before.

The project is set to transform the development of biometric recognition technology worldwide. It will also take forward new advanced face finding and tracking technology for use with CCTV footage; and improved automatic detection and understanding of behaviour and events, for multi-camera systems.

BAE Systems has invested in excess of £1 million of funding to the initiative as part of its Investment in Innovation programme. Set up in 2008, the programme aims to encourage and support innovative small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the development and delivery of new technology to improve security, in the UK and world-wide. The face recognition and behavioural biometric work with OmniPerception is one of the programme's first projects.

OmniPerception Director David McIntosh said: "The full potential of CCTV as a defensive security measure and as an investigative tool has yet to be realised.  One of the keys to it is better automation - faster and more accurate. At a time when many agencies need improved confidence in these areas, our work with BAE Systems is designed to deliver new high tech solutions that make a real difference."

David Mullin of BAE Systems said: "Our investment in this working partnership with OmniPerception underlines our confidence in the vital part this innovative company already plays in improving security through biometric and image processing technology; and its ability to take present day security capabilities to new even higher levels."

The 18 month-long project will see BAE Systems provide financial, project management and engineering support to the team of experts from OmniPerception conducting the main Research & Development programme.