IRIS IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

IRIS IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

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Problem Space• Identity is always a problem when it comes to security, whether it is for

computer access, Air ports, high security building access, or border control.

• Companies with valuable data on their networks usually use a method that involves employees having a username and password to access secure information. User name and passwords can easily be intercepted by an outside source. If this were to happen it could give the source all of that employees access privileges and this can be detrimental to a company in today’s competitive environment.

• If planned well, acquiring another individuals Identity could be done somewhat easily. Places such as military check points, government facilities and Airports are all areas that need to be secured well; while making sure the right people are being allowed into the facility or gate.

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Problem Space

• Border control: Many foreign criminals commit crimes on US soil, then leave the country and change their identity very easily. After laying low for a few weeks or months, these same criminals can come back across the border as a “new person”

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Why The Iris?• The iris has many features that can be used to distinguish one iris from another.

One of the primary visible characteristic is the trabecular meshwork, a tissue which gives the appearance of dividing the iris in a radial fashion that is permanently formed by the eighth month of gestation.

• During the development stage of the iris there is no genetic influences. Which means that every human beings Iris is unique. Not even Identical twins have the same iris.

• In the iris, there are over 400 distinctive characteristics that can be used to identify an individual. roughly 260 of those are actually captured or used in an iris identification application. Because of these unique characteristics, the iris has nearly six times more distinct features that you can identify than other biometrics like fingerprint.

• The fact that the iris is protected behind the eyelid, cornea and aqueous humour means that, unlike fingerprints, the likelihood of damage and/or abrasion is minimal.

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The Iris Continued• The iris is also not effected by aging which means it remains in a stable

form from about the age one until death.

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Iris Recognition Process• "The point of biometrics identification is to test for highly distinctive

biological characteristics that are provably unique to a single person.“

- John Daugman of Cambridge University

• There are 3 steps that come with Iris Recognition technology:1. Capturing the Image

2. Defining the location of the iris and optimizing the iris

3. Storing and comparing the image

• Capturing the Image: – The image of the iris can be captured using a standard camera using both

visible and infrared light and may be either a manual or automated procedure– With the advanced technology today, manual labor is rarely needed as the

cameras can capture images of an individuals iris from up to about 3 meters or 9 feet away.

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Iris Recognition Process

• Defining the location and optimizing the iris: • After the eye is located, the system identifies the image that has the best focus and

clearness of the iris.

– The image is then analyzed to identify the outer boundary of the iris where it meets the white sclera of the eye, the pupillary boundary and the center of the pupil. This results in the precise location of the circular iris pattern.

– The iris recognition system then identifies the areas of the iris image that are suitable for feature extraction and analysis. This involves removing areas that are covered by the eyelids, any deep shadows and reflective areas.

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Iris Recognition Process

• Storing and Comparing the Image:– Once the image is captured, an algorithm locates the outer and inner

edges of the iris and proceeds to analyze it. The algorithm uses 2-D Gabor wavelets to filter and map the iris into a 2048 bit iris code. The Gabor wavelets assign values drawn from spatial frequency of selected areas of the iris and then generates an iris code according to radial and angular variables.

– It has been estimated that the equal-error rate is 1 in 1.2 million for this type of iris code.

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Potential Issues• Privacy concerns are the biggest feared issue for the future of Iris recognition. Many

human rights activists have came forward saying that they believe iris scanning will soon further the ability of our government to track citizens beyond their will.

• Activists argue that the money invested for iris scan research would be better used toward research that improves health and welfare.

• Acceptance is enormous for these technologies. • This Technology is a disruptive innovation. As technology gets better so do these

different types of iris scanners. The more companies and agencies want this technology improvements will continue to be made to it including non-HLS companies.

• In the last few years many steps have been made, making this technology more and more usable. A lot of the time iris recognition technology has been hampered by the necessity to position a subject in front of the iris scannerand line up the eye properly for identification, Today however there are scanners that scan while the subject is still in motion.

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Testing• Iris biometrics plays an important role in monitoring access to highly restricted

areas. Twenty-nine Canadian airports employ iris recognition technology for their employees, who use it to verify their authorization to gain access from the land side to the air side.

• At Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, there are fast-track lanes at passport control which use iris scanning to identify flight crew and some frequent travelers.– Verry affective it had 0 false reports.

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Advantages• Iris patters are extremely random (difficult to forge or imitate another

individual)• Iris is protected against damage by the Cornea. • Stable Iris patters throughout life• No direct contact between subject and Camera technology• No difficulty in enrolling people that wear glasses or

contact lenses• Extremely convenient • The accurateness of the scanning technology is a major benefit with error

rates being very low, resulting in a highly reliable system for authentication.

• Image analysis and encoding speed is extremely fast (aprox. 1 second)• Very good alternative for passwords.

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Disadvantages• The iris is fairly small (its diameter is about 1cm)• Requires some cooperation from the subject.( must make sure alignment and

positioning is correct)• Most are used for small target population.• Iris can be partially covered by eyelids, eye lashes• If scanned enough, Infrared rays that are used to scan the iris can potentially

damage the eye, or cause optical disease in the long run• Illumination and reflection surfaces can effect capture.• Iris is Located behind a curved, wet, reflecting surface • Frustrated subjects can slow down the process• Implementation costs are high.• Normal day-to-day problems such as system failures, power failures, network

problems, and software problems can all contribute to rendering a the technology unusable.

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Iris on the Move

Iris on the Move• Sarnoff Corporation’s Iris on the move consists of fast, convenient,

and secure biometric products for high-throughput identity verification.

• IOM technologies are capable of capturing an iris image at a distance while the subject is in motion, which most Iris recognition technologies can’t do.

• 2010 Best New Product Award and Best Biometrics and Identity Solution at the Security Industry Association New Product Showcase.

• There are 3 different technologies in the IOM series1. Portal system

2. Drive-up system

3. Compact system

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Portal System

• This system combines the security of iris scanning, recognition & detection with a fast convenient high-throughput solution for access control. It has a processing speed of 30 people per minute, making it ideal for high-traffic locations such as airports, security checkpoints and other applications that require uncompromising identity verification for a large number of people.

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Portal System• Requires no user training• Motion isn’t an issue• Eye safe • Stand off distance = 3m or 9 feet• Identification speed is less than 1 second• Throughput = 30 people per minute• Works with subjects of varying heights• Captures images through eyeglasses, contact lenses and most sunglasses• Identifies users in database or watch lists • Very good for high traffic buildings like Government facilities, airports,

Nuclear plant sites, and Correctional facilities.

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Drive-Up System

• This system uses Pan-Tilt-Zoom technology to capture a driver’s iris recognition while eliminating the need for the individual to exit the vehicle. It is an accurate, reliable and convenient method of access control for secure areas.

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Drive Up system• Requires no user training• Eliminates the need to exit vehicle• Works with varying heights• Captures image through eye glasses, contacts and most sunglasses• Identifies users in data base and watch lists• Standoff distance = 1-2m (aprox. 6 feet)• Iris Identification speed = less than 1 second• Throughput = 6 vehicles per minute• Very good for military Check points, border crossing, and sensitive Government

locations

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Compact System

• This system miniaturizes the iris recognition technologies to widen the scope of possible applications. Its small form factor makes it ideal for areas where space is an issue while its advanced capabilities enable it to capture the iris images of up to 12 people per minute.

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Compact System• Requires no User training• Limited subject interaction• Customization for individual scenarios ( Mount onto wall, rack, tripod or

gooseneck)• Standoff Distance = 1 m• Iris identification speed = less than 1 second• Light weight• Throughput = 12 people per minute• Good for Iris database enrollment, Airport check in counters, Government

facilities, and Secure room access,

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Future Vision

• The future for this technology is to hopefully eliminate hard copy Identification all together.