Beijing metro will soon support facial recognition

One day after Beijing metro realized citywide support for QR-code payment, the city is looking to power its metro system with face recognition.

A representative from the Beijing Transportation Committee told local media that the capital is going to test out its face recognition system by the end of this year (in Chinese).

Fingerprints, faces and voice waves are the unique identifiers for biometric verification. Currently facial recognition is the most suitable technology for the metro, according to the director of Beijing Metro Network Control Center.

In addition to Beijing, Shanghai metro also revealed its plans to introduce facial recognition solutions.

In recent years, facial recognition is widely applied as a major verification method in China. Alibaba is among the earliest companies that are integrating the technology into payment process. In addition, it is being applied in several physical deployments from verifying visitor’s identities in Chinese tourist spot of Wuzhen, facilitating checking in and boarding processes for travelers, and even spotting fugitives.