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NEC provides customs procedure system with face recognition for Okinawa's busiest airport

- Reducing airport congestion and waiting times -

Tokyo, April 20, 2021 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) today announced the provision of an electronic customs procedure system utilizing face recognition at the customs inspection areas of Naha Airport, the busiest airport in Okinawa, Japan. This electronic customs procedure system has also been provided to six other major airports in Japan: New Chitose Airport, Narita International Airport, Haneda Airport, Japan's busiest, Chubu International Airport, Kansai International Airport and Fukuoka Airport, based on an order from Japan Customs, under the Ministry of Finance.

This system is designed to accelerate the customs procedures at leading airports, where NEC's face recognition technology can confirm travelers' identities when using the system's electronic declaration terminal and passing through its exit gates. Moreover, NEC aims to further accelerate customs procedures by enabling baggage to be reported electronically through the use of smartphone applications.

NEC's face recognition technology is the core technology of its biometric identification portfolio “Bio-IDiom" (*1), and boasts the world's No.1 recognition accuracy (*2).

Conceptual image of an electronic customs procedure gate at a customs
inspection area
(Left) Exit gate (Right) Electronic declaration terminal

About the Electronic Customs Procedure System
The electronic customs procedure system consists of customs declaration apps, which simplify customs and declaration procedures for baggage, an electronic declaration terminal, and an exit gate that enables passengers to pass through using face recognition.

  1. Exit gate equipped with the world's No.1 face recognition technology
    The exit gate is equipped with NEC's AI engine "NeoFace," which is the core technology of its biometric identification portfolio "Bio-IDiom," and has won the world's No.1 recognition accuracy. The system operates by taking a facial image at an electronic declaration terminal installed at the customs inspection area, this image is then matched with a facial image that is taken by a face recognition camera at an exit gate. Since the face of a person approaching an exit gate is continuously photographed, walk-through authentication is possible, without requiring travelers to stop. Smooth identification contributes to reducing the congestion of customs inspection areas and shortening travelers' waiting times.
  2. Customs declaration apps and an electronic declaration terminal
    Customs declaration apps and an electronic declaration terminal enable efficient and easy electronic declaration for customs inspections. Travelers enter the contents of their portable goods with customs declaration apps, obtain a QR code, and then read their passport and the QR code with an electronic declaration terminal installed in the customs inspection area. This is considered more simple and easy when compared to preparing conventional forms for the "Declaration of Personal Effects and Unaccompanied Articles."

In addition, during operation of the electronic declaration terminal, a traveler is photographed with a built-in camera and checked against their facial image embedded in the IC chip of their passport. The facial image taken at the terminal is only used for identification processes and is deleted in an appropriate manner after use.

NEC has already provided biometric identification systems, including face recognition, to approximately 50 airports around the world. NEC will continue to strengthen its efforts to develop solutions and services in support of the "NEC Safer Cities" (*3) business domain and contributing to the realization of safe, secure, and prosperous communities.

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About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.

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