A Chinese university has developed a police car capable of face scanning during patrols.
The intelligent vehicles, developed by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Sichuan Province, will be first tested in east Zhejiang Province in June, according to the university.
China's police cars are mostly refitted from commercial car models according to the needs of local authorities. The new cars will address many problems resulting from this poor standardization, said Yin Guangqiang, director of the police-use advanced technology institute at the university.
A host of new technologies have been added to the new model over the seven-month development period for the country's first standardized police vehicle, Yin said.
The car is equipped with rooftop cameras that capture faces within a radius of 60 meters, even at a speed of 120 km/h. The images are then sent through the police database and if matches are found an alarm is sounded.
Its other functions include detecting vehicles information and identifying mobile phones in its proximity. Its engines also consume less oil and discharge less carbon dioxide.
"The new car is not just a means of transportation. It is more like a smart law enforcement system on wheels," Yin said.
