IRIS RECOGNITION SYSTEMS

The eyes have it. Iris recognition is the process of recognizing a person by analyzing the random pattern of the iris (Figure 1). The automated method of iris recognition is relatively young, existing in pattern only since 1994. The iris is a muscle within the eye that regulates the size of the pupil, controlling the amount of light that enters the eye. It is the colored portion of the eye with the coloring based on the amount of the melatonin pigment within the muscle. Although genetically identical an individuals irides are unique and structurally distinct, which allows for it to be used for the pattern recognition.

Iris recognition is an automated method of biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern-recognition techniques on video images of the irides of an individual's eyes, whose complex random patterns are unique and can be seen from some distance. The use of iris recognition technology is expanding around the globe and it is being utilized in a vast array of commercial and government applications ranging from access control to time management. APPLICATIONS FOR IRIS RECOGNITION ACCESS SYSTEMS The technology is spreading fast. A major hotel in Boston uses an iris recognition access system for guests staying in the high-end presidential suite. Another organization in Boston uses the technology to keep a record of children in the event they ever go missing and must be identified in the future. The technology is far more accurate than a traditional swipe card, but much less intrusive than other biometrics, such as fingerprints. Some airports use iris recognition technology for identification. Some airports are using iris recognition technology to identify flight crew and some frequent travellers The capture process is also safe. The illumination levels required for the Near Infrared LED for the iris are well below safety limits. As new advancements are made, the goal is to make iris biometrics even less intrusive. We should be able to make the capture process so simple that as we're walking, we can be authenticated. Moreover, as the premium price ticket on iris recognition systems drops, this form of biometrics is becoming increasingly attractive.