Digital Barriers has released SmartVis Identifier, which the company calls the world’s first live facial recognition system for body worn law enforcement cameras.

The company integrated its EdgeVis and SmartVis technologies to provide defense, security, and law enforcement agencies with real-time facial recognition against multiple watchlists and databases.

The SmartVis facial recognition technology, which was previously available for standard smartphones, has now been adapted to run live on Digital Barriers’ body worn cameras designed for frontline law enforcement.

Combined with mobile live streaming solution EdgeVis, it makes streaming from body worn devices both operationally and financially viable.

“SmartVis facial recognition has been designed to do the job that traditional facial recognition systems cannot; to work in the real world, in real time,” said Zak Doffman, CEO of Digital Barriers. “Never before has frontline policing been offered live facial recognition on the type of everyday body worn cameras now being widely deployed. Customers at the forefront of security and defense have already deployed this technology and describe it as a game changer.”

Until now, body worn devices have been largely limited to record-only, making them useful for evidence management after the fact but doing nothing to promote officer safety. Digital Barriers’ solution is different as EdgeVis delivers low latency and low bandwidth streaming, including over-the-air access to device recordings and GPS locational data.

Now, the addition of live facial recognition to the solution means that for the first time every interaction, every stop and search, every arrest, can be supported when required by real-time facial recognition.

SmartVis Face provides a major leap forward for the capability and practicality of facial recognition within day-to-day policing. The system has been designed to meet the frontline operational requirements of defence, security and law enforcement agencies, as well as the broader security industry.

By removing human error from the equation and plugging resourcing gaps, it enables organisations to significantly widen their deployments of facial recognition to enhance security and public safety, with identities confirmed and persons of interest highlighted in real time.

In addition to being available alongside EdgeVis on Digital Barriers’ body worn devices, SmartVis Identifier will also be made available to selected service providers and camera and device manufacturers under license.