Iris recognition is an emerging technology that measures the unique patterns in a person’s eyes to verify their identity. This type of biometric identification technology captures a high-resolution digital image of the eye’s iris using infrared light and a sophisticated algorithm. The resulting numeric template is then stored or “enrolled” in a database for future comparison during identification and authentication processes. Aside from facial recognition, iris recognition offers one of the best match rates for authenticating individuals and preventing impersonation attempts.
Unlike fingerprints, face and voice, the pattern of an individual’s irises are virtually impossible to duplicate or spoof with makeup, accessories or digital imagery. This inherent uniqueness makes iris recognition the fastest and most accurate biometric modality. Iris scanning requires a specialized camera that uses invisible infrared wavelengths to capture the high-contrast iris image. The camera then analyzes a series of approximately 240 patterns and features to create a mathematical representation of the iris for matching purposes. The iris templates are encrypted and are not accessible to the untrained eye. When a user attempts to gain access or authenticate, the scanning process compares a scan of the iris to the enrolled templates for a match.