NEW DELHI: As part of heightened security arrangements for Republic Day, a few dozen Delhi Police personnel on ground duty will don AI-enabled smart glasses, enabling them to discreetly track and identify suspicious individuals in real time across crowded areas of the capital.
The smart glasses, manufactured by an Indian company, will be linked in real time to the police database of criminals, proclaimed offenders and suspects, allowing personnel on the ground to instantly identify individuals in crowded locations.
These wearable devices will be connected to mobile phones used by police officers, giving them access to the entire criminal database available through the system, Additional Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla said while speaking to this newspaper.
“The glasses are connected to the mobile phones of the officers, and the mobile phones will carry the full database of criminals. If someone appears in a green box, it clearly indicates that the person has no criminal involvement. If the box turns red, it means the person has a criminal record. The officer can quickly verify all details, and if needed, the person will be apprehended immediately,” Additional CP Mahla said.
He added, “This is my third time as a DCP handling the Republic Day celebrations, and last year I realised that it is not easy to catch suspicious people by merely observing them through installed cameras. These AI glasses are available in the market, but glasses equipped with facial recognition systems and video analytics are first of their kind.”
The officer further stated that the smart glasses can scan faces within seconds and match them with records stored in the central database without requiring physical checks or stopping people, ensuring smooth movement in crowded areas during this high-security event.
In addition to facial recognition, the smart glasses are equipped with thermal imaging technology, which helps officers detect individuals carrying metal objects or concealed weapons. This thermal capability adds an extra layer of security by enabling the early identification of potential threats in dense crowds.
“We used similar technology during Covid to check body temperatures. The thermal imaging feature will assist officers in identifying suspicious objects or weapons that may not be visible to the naked eye,” Mahla said. He emphasised that the advanced AI system is capable of identifying criminals even if they have altered their appearance over the years.
“These are tested products that we have provided to a few dozen officials. We have not yet purchased the glasses. The procurement process will take time, but the glasses will be utilised in law and order situations and events requiring high-level security,” he added.
Apart from AI-enabled smart glasses, Delhi Police will deploy extensive CCTV surveillance, drone-based monitoring, facial recognition software integration and AI-based analytics to manage crowds and detect suspicious behaviour in real time.