Biometric Iris Scanning : Using Eyes to Identify

Basics of biometric iris scanning: Iris scanning analyzes the features that exist in the coloured tissues surrounding the pupil which has more than 200 points that can be used for comparison, including rings, furrows and freckles. The scans use a regular video camera and can be done from further away than a retinal scan. It will work perfectly fine through glasses and in fact has the ability to create an accurate enough measurement that it can be used for identification purposes, and not just verification.

Biometric Iris Scanning - The Process:

The person alligns himself so that he is able to see his own eye's reflection in the iris scanning device. The user may be able to do this from up to 2 feet away or may need to be as close as a couple of inches depending on the device. Verification time is generally less than 5 seconds, though the user will only need to look into the device for a couple moments.

To prevent a fake eye from being used to fool the iris scanning systems, iris scanners may vary the light shone into the eye and watch for pupil dilation also.


Iris Scanning - A Brief History:

The idea of using iris patterns for personal identification was originally proposed in 1936 by ophthalmologist Frank Burch. By the 1980's the idea had appeared in hollywood films, but it still remained a science fiction. In 1987 two other ophthalmologists, Aran Safir and Leonard Flom, patented this idea, and in 1989 they asked John Daugman (then teaching at Harvard University) to try to create actual algorithms for iris recognition. These algorithms, are the basis for all current iris recognition systems and products.


Use of iris scanning systems:

Law enforcement agencies in the United States began using it in 1994 when the Lancaster County Prison in Pennsylvania became the first correctional facility to employ the technology for prisoner identification. In Berkshire County, the technology is used in the newly built Berkshire County Jail as a security check for employees. The Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in North Carolina and the Flughafen Frankfort Airport in Germany allow frequent passengers to register their iris scans in an effort to streamline boarding procedures. There is discussion that banks may someday make iris scans a routine part of ATM transactions, and some have begun taking the first steps in testing out these systems.

The use of iris scans as part of the booking procedure along with fingerprints is just beginning to come into existence. Police stations around the country have been looking into the technology and some, including the Barnstable County jail in Massachusetts which put in a system in early 2002. The power of this biometric may make it rival fingerprints for booking situations where identification and verification are vital.


Evaluation of Iris Scanning technology:

The uniqueness of eyes, even between the left and right eye of the same person, makes iris scanning very powerful for identification purposes. The likelihood of a false positive is extremely low and its relative speed and ease of use make it a great potential biometric. The only drawbacks are the potential difficulty in getting someone to hold their head in the right spot for the scan if they are not doing the scan willingly. It also takes up a bit more memory for the data to be stored, but with the advances in technology, this is unlikely to cause any major difficulty.