Advances in Japan IT firms’ ‘touchless’ technology boosted by virus fears

Photo caption: A face recognition gate at NEC Corp.’s headquarters, which can identify a person even when they are wearing a mask, is seen in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on March 30, 2020. (Mainichi/Tatsuya Michinaga). Japanese original by Tatsuya Michinaga, Business News Department.

TOKYO — As the coronavirus continues to spread across Japan, companies are speeding up their development and utilization of products featuring “touchless” technology that can be controlled without direct physical contact.

A big drive behind the move to embrace the technology is that among the effective measures for stemming infections is avoiding touching one’s own face or equipment handled by many people. Japanese firms are particularly well-versed in technologies related to this field, and the establishment of “touchless economics” has been attracting attention as the coronavirus has extended its reach across the globe. […]

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