(Yicai Global) Dec. 15 -- Chinese search and tech firm Sogou Inc. [NYSE:SOGO] recently unveiled a lip reading program which can operate up to 90-percent accuracy in certain scenarios and step in as a back-up when voice recognition isn't suitable.

The Chinese-based system recorded more than 60-percent accuracy in a speaker-independent open oral test, beating out a similar program developed by US tech titan Google, which lip reads English. In smart home and in-vehicle tests, the Sogou system was accurate up to 90 percent.

The Beijing-based company, which listed in New York last month, said the artificial intelligence technology uses complex neural networking techniques to model lip movements and has amassed data from thousands of hours of training.

Scenarios for the technology will include precise speech recognition in noisy environments, identification, helping those with hearing or speech impediments and assistant in police cases where only voiceless video is available.