China has unveiled the world's first facial recognition ATM. 

The new cash machine was developed by Tsinghua University, a research university in Beijing, and Tzekwan Technology, a Hangzhou-based company specialising in financial security protection, Chinese state media reported.

"This technology will ensure the greater security of card owners," said Gu Zikun, Tzekwan chairman and anti-graft expert. 

The product has passed government certification and will soon be available on the market, he said. 

The ATM works by mapping facial data and matching it against an ID database. The technique, commonly used in surveillance, is called biometric authentication and uses facial feature and iris recognition.