BPA Technologies, a Moscow-based company, has developed a stealthy surveillance system that allows you to apply paint to clothing or objects that is invisible to the naked eye but can be detected by video cameras. The technology is claimed to be used to track equipment and employees, but the Russian government is convinced that it will be used by law enforcement agencies for repression.
BPA Technologies, a Moscow-based company, has developed a stealthy surveillance system that allows you to apply paint to clothing or objects that is invisible to the naked eye but can be detected by video cameras. The technology is claimed to be used to track equipment and employees, but the Russian government is convinced that it will be used by law enforcement agencies for repression.
The developers assure that the paint is safe for people and environmentally friendly. The cameras that detect it transmit data to an analytical module, where machine vision algorithms build a digital profile of movements in real time.
BPA Technologies believes that the technology can be used to analyze purchasing behavior and optimize service in retail or to monitor equipment and logistics processes in warehouses and industry.
«In transport, the system helps manage passenger flows and increase security, and in offices, it helps rationally use workspaces and automate cleaning. Its versatility and anonymity make it applicable where the use of biometrics is impossible or undesirable,» said the technical director of the Russian company.
He added that the system does not use biometrics or personal data, but only individual numbers in the system, without linking them to names or personal information. This supposedly protects the privacy of workers, but allows for analysis of their production activities.
«The method developed by domestic engineers will allow for „smart“ time tracking. The system, using AI technologies, will be able to analyze the time spent on tasks to form forecasts of the sequence of stages of construction, installation or logistics projects,» said a representative of BPA Technologies
Experts warn of the risks of implementing such technology — unlike facial recognition systems, it does not formally require a person’s consent, which means it can be used without their knowledge for total control. The tags can also get to other people, they can be decrypted or forged, and there is also a risk of leakage from tracking databases.
