Smart glasses upgrading police efficiency

With the assistance of smart glasses equipped with cameras, recognition systems and real-time internet connectivity, police officers can walk the streets and quickly identify objects, signs, license plates and more. By leveraging big data for real-time comparisons, they can proactively detect anomalies in a way that was once confined to sci-fi movies, but is now unfolding for real on the streets of Tianjin.

"These glasses make our patrols and checks much more efficient, helping us proactively detect and respond to emergencies," said Zhao Baoxin, a police officer at the Jiefang Road police station of the Heping district public security subbureau in Tianjin.

The first made-for-police-use smart glasses in China have been independently developed by the Tianjin public security system — with all software and hardware made domestically. They are changing traffic management, routine patrols and urban governance.

In the past, patrolling relied primarily on visual observation. Today, smart glasses are widely employed in scenarios such as traffic management, street patrols and locating missing people, continually improving urban governance and public services. This technology enables law enforcement to respond with greater precision and speed.

While violent crime is rare in China, the use of smart glasses goes far beyond making arrests — they are often used to serve residents, manage traffic and locate lost elderly people.

Showcasing the city's advances in smart policing equipment, these and other typical examples of intelligent technology empowering social governance and public services will be on display at the 2026 World Intelligence Expo in Tianjin from Thursday to Sunday.

Zhao recalled one patrol experience: "We found an elderly man at an intersection in Heping district. He couldn't speak clearly or tell us his name and address. The glasses quickly identified him and within 20 minutes we had reached his family and got him home safely."

Connected to a networked platform, the smart glasses feature text recognition, voice recognition and voice-command control. They can search and provide feedback information in real time, such as verifying a person's identity or finding family contact details. Officers can complete identity checks and information inquiries on the spot through the glasses, improving response efficiency.

The glasses not only assist officers in their daily work, but also give traffic police a major helping hand.

Traffic congestion around schools during peak drop-off and pick-up hours is a common challenge across China. At Tianjin No 21 Middle School in Heping district, parents can now register through a mini-program co-developed by the public security system. Their license plate information is linked to the glasses' back-end system.

Wearing the glasses, officers can quickly identify authorized vehicles and guide them to stop briefly and leave promptly, while directing other vehicles away in time.

Sun Yinghua, a police officer of the mobile policing detachment of the science, technology and IT division of the Tianjin Municipal Public Security Bureau, said the glasses achieve a recognition accuracy of over 95 percent and can capture data and return results within milliseconds — faster than the blink of an eye. Powered by OCR visual capabilities and artificial intelligence large model technology, the camera on the glasses can quickly identify objects, signs and license plates.

In terms of battery life, the second-generation glasses last two to three times longer than the first generation, supporting 1.5 to 2 hours of continuous wear — enough to cover a standard patrol shift. The temple arms are equipped with specialized sensors: putting the glasses on activates them automatically, and taking them off switches them to standby mode, effectively reducing power consumption.

Unlike body-worn cameras clipped to the chest, the smart glasses offer a first-person perspective, so the footage does not shift when the officer bends or turns. The device weighs about 40 grams, lighter than an average pair of sunglasses.

The push toward smart policing is accelerating across China. In December, a national public security technology work conference called for in-depth implementation of the strategy of strengthening the police force through technology, and comprehensively advancing the use of digital and intelligent tools to empower police operations. According to a 2026 industry report by Zhiyan Consulting on China's public security IT market, the sector grew from 10.8 billion yuan ($1.59 billion) in 2015 to 25.5 billion yuan in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.96 percent.

Smart glasses, police robots, drones and other equipment have now entered the multipoint application stage. In Jinyun county, Zhejiang province, traffic police using AI glasses have improved the efficiency of roadside key vehicle checks by about 300 percent. In Haikou, Hainan province, AI glasses deployed by traffic police can complete the whole process from identification to alert within 30 seconds. In Chengdu, Sichuan province, humanoid robots, robotic dogs and smart glasses have been integrated to build a three-dimensional prevention and control system covering "air, ground and individual officers". Shenzhen, Guangdong province, explicitly called for "deepening the practical application of new technologies and equipment such as robots and AI glasses" in its 2026 public security work plan.

Police-use smart glasses are also being added to the equipment lists of law enforcement agencies in other countries.

In January, Delhi police in India deployed AI smart glasses for security during Republic Day celebrations. The Dutch national police force began piloting Vuzix Blade augmented reality glasses in 2020 to provide information support to patrol officers.

Zhao said: "During large-scale security operations or holiday crowd management at scenic spots, the glasses work in coordination with drones. The devices can cover areas that personnel cannot reach."

Yan Jinghao, head of the mobile policing detachment of the science, technology and IT division of the Tianjin Municipal Public Security Bureau, said future plans include linking robotic dogs, smart connected police vehicles, humanoid robots and other terminals to achieve multidevice coordination — "to enhance the intelligence level of policing and urban management".

Zhong Aiyamei contributed to this story.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn