VolkerFitzpatrick is trialling a 100% non-contact facial recognition site access control system on its Brent Cross West station project
The contractor has teamed up with tech company, innDex to trial the new facial recognition site access control system.
The new product has been backed by Innovate UK’s Covid-19 support fund.
Tim Jackson, VolkerFitzpatrick health and safety manager at Brent Cross west station, said: “It’s great to be working with SMEs like innDex to develop innovative agile solutions which meet the needs of today whilst moving the industry forward and for the better.”
innDex is looking to roll the system out to the wider industry by the end of this year.
Advanced tech developed by UK SMEs
Director of innDex, George Smithies, commented: “We believe this is the first fully UK developed and manufactured 100% non-contact facial recognition access control unit predominantly aimed at construction sites and facilities management.
“We open our phones and travel between countries all with our face. Why shouldn’t we access our construction sites and provide proof of presence using our faces?
“Why shouldn’t the construction industry have the latest and most advanced technology developed by UK SMEs?”
innDex was founded by George Smithies and Aaron Vousden because of their frustrations with the lack of innovation, digitisation and automation on construction sites.
When Covid-19 hit they decided to use the crisis as an opportunity to exploit facial recognition.
innDex partnered with Touchbyte to form a response.
Smithies: “We decided to support Touchbyte as part of the Innovate UK response to Covid-19. It’s also important to state that we don’t see facial recognition access control as a short term fad.
“It’s a long term trend that is going to change our industry because the benefits and applications of facial recognition are vast.”
In October the company will be starting its next phase of pilot projects.
The goal of this next phase is to test the system and use cases more widely.
