The free AI-powered mask-wearing detection and alert program will soon be available at 10 local stores.
In response to recent security incidents at convenience stores in Taichung and Taoyuan, the Tainan City Government, ASUS Cloud Computing Co., Ltd., and Taiwan Smart Cloud Services Co., Ltd. jointly launched an AI mask-wearing detection and warning solution. They are offering a limited amount of free AIHPC cloud high-speed computing resources to help upgrade existing surveillance equipment and equip it with intelligent AI image perception capabilities. This public-private partnership aims to jointly maintain public safety, and the first batch of 10 local stores will be online before the Lunar New Year.
Mayor Huang Wei-che stated that the recent security incident at a convenience store was regrettable. The Tainan City Government responded quickly, establishing a protective network through public-private partnerships. This network, combined with technological tools and warning mechanisms, subtly reminded violators and prevented direct contact between store staff and customers from escalating into conflict. Given the recent surge in the Omicron variant of the virus in Taiwan, with local infections continuing to rise, he reiterated the importance of frequent handwashing, wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and adhering to contact tracing measures when going out. He emphasized the need to wear masks at all times except when eating, minimize visits to crowded places, and, as advised by the Central Epidemic Command Center, promptly schedule appointments for the third booster dose of the vaccine.
Tai Wei-Chun, Chairman of the Research, Development and Evaluation Committee, stated that during the pandemic, the committee experimented with various technologies to implement science-based epidemic prevention, including Bluetooth technology to detect cluster events and image recognition to detect mask wearing and social distancing. The core technology of this solution is AI image recognition, utilizing the AIHPC supercomputer cloud platform operated by Taishin Cloud and indoor and outdoor image data from Tainan City to establish a mask-wearing detection inference model. Currently, other county and city government agencies have also expressed interest in the solution, and negotiations are underway. With the COVID-19 situation worsening in Omicron stores domestically, this solution can provide timely reminders to customers entering convenience stores to wear masks correctly and avoid exposure to the risk of infection. The solution currently has a free quota available, and local businesses are encouraged to apply.
Source:Tainan City Government