Biometric DB#1

Biometric DB#1

Iris recognition

Iris biometric authentication is one of the most precise and accurate authentication systems, and this is the reason why it is mostly used in sensitive sectors where there are high risks of security concerns. Iris technology relies on the uniquely colored rings surrounding the eye’s pupil. Made from flexible connective tissues, the iris has about 266 unique characteristics that make it rich in biometric data. Iris technology uses almost 173 of these unique characteristics, and they remain stable throughout an individual’s lifetime expect when injured. Iris recognition may be used in both identification and recognition systems. In recognition systems, the use of a small and high-quality camera to capture white and black high-resolution images of the iris (Vacca, 2007). As a result, the system can then define the iris’s boundaries, establish a coordination system, and determine zones for analysis in the coordination system.

Application of iris recognition systems in criminal justice

Since the iris patterns are complex and impossible to interfere with, it has been used in the criminal justice system for the identification of criminals. The technology has been used in law enforcement agencies to identify and track criminals to ensure public safety (Policing Project, 2019). This technology has helped in overcoming the disadvantages of the traditional security system by not only detecting crime but also preventing it. The iris technology system is also used in the border and immigration checkpoints by the department of homeland security touting the technology as a non-contact process that gives a stable and faster form of identification compared to fingerprints. Incarcerated individuals are usually required to submit biometric data such as iris scans, and this data can be used to identify and track the inmates’ movement.

Iris system technology in the real world

The versatility of iris technology makes it useful anywhere identity authentication is needed to improve security (Vacca, 2007). While iris recognition is widely used in government and private enterprises, its versatility will enable the technology to be used in the economic sectors, including healthcare, national identification programs, and transportation. Although security is the main concern, iris technology is also being used in productivity-enhancing applications such as time and attendance.

Face recognition

Face recognition is a flexible biometric technique that works even when the individual is not aware of if being scanned. The identification of an individual’s face can be achieved in several ways, such as capturing a face of an individual by using a camera or the infrared patterns of the heat emission from the face. Using a variety of cameras, the visible light can help in extracting features from the images that cannot change while avoiding keeping away from superficial expressions like hair or facial expressions. A number of strategies to model images of the face in the visible scope are local feature analysis, multi-resolution analysis, elastic graph theory, and principal component analysis (Vacca, 2007).

Facial recognition is highly used in the real world, especially in smart cities, to observe people’s behaviors and movements. The main reason to utilize it for commercial interests and public security is to track human interests (Thakar, 2020). The use of public CCTV cameras in immigration checks in the boarders and airports is mainly for public security. In terms of commercial interests, facial recognition is used in medical clinics, retail stores, and schools to patients, shoppers, and students, respectively. However, as much as facial recognition is widely used, it comes with various challenges that affect its accuracy levels. Some of the challenges include detecting masks or photographs and taking images in low lightning (Vacca, 2007).

References

Policing Project. (2019). Policing Project Five-Minute Primers: Iris Recognition — The Policing Project. The Policing Project. Retrieved 28 February 2020, from https://www.policingproject.org/news-main/2019/9/20/policing-project-five-minute-primers-iris-recognition.

Thakar, D. (2020). Top Five Biometrics: Face, Fingerprint, Iris, Palm and Voice. Bayometric. Retrieved 28 February 2020, from https://www.bayometric.com/biometrics-face-finger-iris-palm-voice/.

Vacca, J. R. (2007). Biometric technologies and verification systems. Elsevier.