JR East eyes introduction of "walkthrough" ticket gates in few yrs english.kyodonews.net

KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 22:25 | All, JapanEast Japan Railway Co. is looking to introduce "walkthrough" ticket gates at stations that will enable passengers to access gates via a specialized smartphone application, sources familiar with the plan said Wednesday.
The next generation walkthrough gates could also pave the way for face recognition and even lead to a move that will abolish gates altogether.
"Ticket gates that are trouble-free and capable of handling the rush-hour have been a long-time goal," a JR East source said.
Gates in stations are replaced every 10-plus years due to decrepitude and the touchless gates are expected to replace the current ones once they reach that stage.
The company has worked to limit the emission of the millimeter waves to only smartphones passing through the gate below.