Realistic masks made in Japan find demand from tech, car companies

"made of resin and plastic "

"took him two years of experimentation before he found a way to use three-dimensional facial data from high quality photographs to make the masks"

Can't a 3D printer be used to make the masks?

Giving the Saudis realistic masks isn't going to end well. Good money but can't expect them to be used ethically. At least they might stop peeling actual faces off. All a little bit creepy. Mission impossible type technology.

made by a tiny company in rural Japan

Otsu city has a population of over 300,000. This may be "rural" by Tokyo standards, but it sounds fairly urban to me.

Otsu city has a population of over 300,000. This may be "rural" by Tokyo standards, but it sounds fairly urban to me.

Bingo. Plus it's only 10 mins. from Kyoto station.

To give the Saudi's some credit, they might be using the masks as security decoys to foil assassination attempts.

Well, this won't end badly.

Can it fool facial recognition technology I wonder?

Great to wear someone elses face if planning to exceed speed limit on highway.

"The company, based in Shiga Prefecture", it says.

Shiga is pretty rural, I reckon, though it does have some population concentrations and it is on the main transport backbone of Japan.

How are these masks attached, I wonder?

A couple of elastic bands around the ears?

Toshiro makes a very good point. Difficult to prove your innocence here in Japan with no alibi and your face on CCTV.

"I was told the masks were for portraits to be displayed in public areas,"

I though idolatory was a sin in Islam. Those Saudi kings and princes should be severely punished.

I kind of want one. Is that being narcissistic?

maybeperhapsyes, no ears that I can see!

I want one or two. I only carry my keitai sometimes. AI drones, etc.

This may be "rural" by Tokyo standards, but it sounds fairly urban to me.

This IS JT, if it isn't Tokyo, it's "rural"!

Doesn't make a lot of money, and the masks used on Mission Impossible seem to be a whole lot better.

These would be brilliant Halloween masks, but at 300000 yen, I think I'll wait till the price comes down!

He is basically saying he can beat any facial recognition system

Bet he can't beat Osaka police, they have eye memory.

Now, that's creepy.

Could be Greatly used at Madame Tussaud.

Kitagawa, 60, said he had also received orders from organizations linked to the Saudi government to create masks for the king and princes.

"I was told the masks were for portraits to be displayed in public areas," he said.

Sounds legit.