Brazilian police will use futuristic ‘Robocop-style’ glasses fitted with facial recognition equipment to identify and root out troublemakers at the 2014 World Cup.

A small camera fitted to the glasses can capture 400 facial images per second and send them to a central computer database storing up to 13 million faces. The system can compare biometric data at 46,000 points on a face and will immediately signal any matches to known criminals or people wanted by police.

Generally, the glasses are optimized for viewing people within about 150 feet, but they can apparently be adjusted to recognize faces from up to 12 miles away. So, if you weren’t paranoid about somebody watching you before, now’s a good time to start.

[Cheers telegraph.co.uk]

Aldebaran Robotics is showcasing the skills of its new and improved pint-size humanoid robot Nao, which has already sold 1,065 units at $16,000 (12,000 Euros) apiece.

The latest version of the popular humanoid robot, created by Paris-based Aldebaran Robotics, has a more robust body, longer arms, a more advanced motion engine, and a new head with improved temperature control, Wi-Fi communications, and audio input and output.

Aside from body motion controls, voice recognition, sound localization and face and image recognition, the robot now has a ‘fall manager’ which detects a fall is going to happen and positions the arms and legs in a more protective posture.

Watch how her eyes follow you around the room and her mouth changes expressions….stunning.

Compared to last year’s version, which was slow and clumsy, 2G Nao is smoother and has a much more robust look.

Next year, Aldebaran plans to unveil Romeo, an adult-size humanoid designed to help elderly and disabled people with everyday tasks. As you can see in the video, it’s true love between master and robot.

Looks cool though – better keep it away from the dog…expensive chew isn’t it?

New and improved Nao

Last years version of Nao