Security & Safety

Improved software spawns new applications

May 23, 2003

Iris-based recognition systems are being commercialized, but retinal technology is yet to come into focus.

The old saying, "the eyes are the windows to one's soul" is being proven true in the security systems arena.

As a biometric identifier, the eyes are considered more exact and reliable than the fingerprint. The iris--the colored ring that surrounds the pupil--and the retina--the innermost layer of the eyeball that receives the image produced by the lens--are unique for every individual and every eye.

But while the biometric holds huge potential as an identifier that will allow a person to enter certain areas, board an aircraft, buy an item online and many other applications, iris and retinal identification technology is still undergoing trials and changes.

After a few false starts, some reliable iris recognition systems are coming into view. Longer scanning range, better optics, and processors that allow real-time operation make the latest versions more functional, reliable and easy to use. Several high-profile applications have helped prove the commercial viability of iris technology, boosting total market sales to a projected $37.1 million this year.

The same cannot be said of retinal verification, which has yet to be commercialized. Development efforts have faltered. The primary maker, the Belgian company EyeDentify, has ceased operations and did not answer requests for confirmation.

"Like the iris, the retina is also capable of high levels of accuracy. But the retina is at the back of the eye, and the angle and positioning need to be more precise," said Trevor Prout, marketing director at International Biometric Group (IBG), a consulting and technology services firm based in New York.

Technology applications widening

Iris recognition systems accounted for 2.7 percent or $16.2 million of total biometrics revenues in 2002, according to IBG. Current projections indicate it will reach 4 percent or $37.1 million of the total market revenue this year, and 5.2 percent or $210.2 million by 2007.

Iridian Technologies, the owner of many of the patents upon which iris recognition is based, has begun licensing other manufacturers to provide the products and software to implement various applications. Canada is reported to have begun using the technology on passports. Moreover, "The United Arab Emirates is going to [use it] for an expellee database system," said Iridian's chief operating officer Frank Fitzsimmons. Expellees had sometimes returned to UAE under the cover of fake passports. By requiring all nonresidents to undergo an iris scan before entering the country, the UAE government hopes to stem the flow.

In another iris technology application, the United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR) registered the irises of 1.8 million Afghans in 2002 to process their repatriation. Iris recognition is also being used in a prison in the United States to verify prisoners' identities.

"We are waiting for the [U.S.] Transportation Security Administration pilot programs, where six of the 20 US airports under the program will implement iris recognition technology. They are going to put biometrics in passports and visas," Iridian's Fitzsimmons said.

Focus on increasing accuracy

The advantage of using the iris as an identifier, aside from its uniqueness, is that an individual's iris pattern stays stable over time. Iridian recently completed a study that reportedly shows a false acceptance of no more than one in 1.2 million scanned irises, a better rate than that of other biometric identifiers, according to Fitzsimmons.

Vendors of iris recognition products highlight the ease of use of iris systems. The iris can be registered at a distance in a non-invasive and non-intrusive manner without requiring physical contact. However, compared to other biometric systems, iris images cannot be captured and enrolled without a person's close cooperation. The enrollee not only has to look at the camera but has to do so at a certain distance for at least two seconds, for the image to be effectively captured and enrolled or compared to templates in a databank.

Therefore, product improvements focus on making the systems easier to use. Increased scanning range and more advanced cameras allow for easier image capture and consequently, lower failure-to-enroll rate.

Bigger capture boxes, longer range

Iridian and its licensees share the responsibility of improving the capability and ease of use of iris-based cameras and systems. Software improvements go hand in hand with hardware upgrades.

The biggest recent improvement in cameras is the enlargement of the capture box, the 3-D area in front of the camera that finds the iris once a user presents his or her eye for scanning. The bigger the capture box, the more easily it can zero in on the iris. Consequently, users do not have to be positioned very precisely in front of the camera.

This also has implications on the scanning range. Cameras with better optics and capture boxes now allow the user to stand in front of the device from up to 152mm away (about six inches) instead of the usual 76mm.

One new camera announced in March by Panasonic Security & Vision Systems Group is the BM-ET300. Panasonic bills the camera as a "one-glance authentication device". The capture range is listed at between 305mm and 381mm, and recognition takes place 1.5 seconds after image capture.

Wiegand input and output enables the camera to work with magnetic cards. It can also operate with proximity scanning devices and connect to surveillance systems. The system features an embedded processor with real-time operation to increase reliability compared to PC-driven devices.

Image capture in the blink of an eye

While a longer scanning range helps, users still have to be trained on how to correctly present their eye for scanning.

One solution developed by hardware maker LG Electronics USA Inc. is to reduce the target area. The IrisAccess 3000's remote optical unit and camera only need to read one eye. Said vice president for marketing David Johnston, "It is easy to zoom in on the target eye because the system is looking at only one eye at a time."

The IrisAccess 3000 consists of an enrollment camera; a remote optical unit for placement at entrances; a control unit; a frame grabber board, which converts the analog iris image into a digital format; and a door interface board, which controls the door lock. Operating at a range of 76mm to 254mm, the system has been enhanced in the past two years in terms of ease of enrollment, security management and improved reporting and functionality. Johnston said an IrisAccess system for four doors costs about $16,000.

Multiple interfaces and biometrics in sight

To enable iris recognition technology to go mainstream as a biometric identifier, Iridian recently issued BioAPI software to make iris recognition compatible with industry-standard BioAPI specifications for programming interfaces. "We started seeing more end users ask for it, as this enables the interface of different biometrics with roughly the same process," Fitzsimmons said.

Merging the technology with other biometric identifying systems is also in the works. According to IBG's Prout, Iridian recently struck an alliance with Sagem, a fingerprint verification technology vendor. The two companies are working on multiple biometric systems, which will not just boost the level of security but also help lower the failure-to-enroll rate, Prout said.