Brave new world of facial recognition
JUST WHEN you thought the rapid pace at which technology was altering the way we go about our daily lives couldn’t gain any more velocity, something brand new and exciting comes along.
A case in point: Sydney Airport is running a facial recognition program that allows passengers to enjoy smooth sailing through its gates without the need to fish out their passport. If this system succeeds, there will soon be no need for international travellers to juggle paperwork and luggage at the airport – their faces will serve as both their passport and their boarding pass while they check in, drop their bags, access the airport lounge and board their plane. Sound a little too futuristic to be true? Just wait until you hear the rest.
◆ Consumer demands drive technological development. Marius Coetzee, the chief executive of Ideco, a South African company with a focus on future-proof smart identification solutions, believes that biometric technology is developing in accordance with consumer demands. “As consumers, we are used to the convenience of a mobile lifestyle, but when we get to the airport or bank it feels like we’ve stepped back in time. Fortunately, biometric recognition solutions are now available,” said Coetzee.
◆ Countless applications for biometric tech.
The field of biometrics includes fingerprint, voice, and facial and iris identification, and there are countless applications for each of these components.
“There are so many ways in which biometrics can be applied to streamline the way we do things,” said Coetzee. “In the mining environment, for instance, a facial recognition feed can be used to identify everyone who enters a secure area. In banking, it can be used to alert relationship managers if VIP clients enter their branch. Event organisers at big stadiums and outdoor venues can pre-load the biometric information of known troublemakers on their databases, so they may be alerted if they attend.”
◆ How does facial recognition work? It is highly specialised software that is overlaid on conventional surveillance footage, which allows the program to isolate the face from the footage, extract the unique features of the face, feed it into a matching engine and determine the identity. | Supplied by Ideco