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Based on its recent analysis of the noninvasive biometrics market, Frost & Sullivan presents AOptix Technologies Inc. with the 2008 North American Award for Technology Innovation in recognition of its development of an adaptive optics-based stand-off iris recognition system.
The innovative iris authentication solution from AOptix can automatically find and accurately identify a subject’s iris at a stand-off distance of 2 meters from the system. The system uses the principles of adaptive optics, which were initially used in astronomy for real-time correction of optical abnormalities resulting from atmospheric disturbances.
“Increasing terrorist threats and security infringements over the past few years have highlighted the need for better border management solutions, challenging the security industry and government authorities to develop and implement customized solutions that will effectively identify and screen cross border travelers,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Deepa Rangarajan. “Assessment must happen quickly and unobtrusively to avoid bottlenecks, and AOptix’s stand-off recognition technology – effectively “iris at a distance” – provides an ideal solution.”
The company’s iris recognition system employs closed loop control, or feedback, to automate the subject acquisition process and provide consistently high quality iris imaging. First, a wavefront sensor measures optical abnormalities, which are known technically as wavefront error. The closed-loop control system then directs suitable commands to the optical system, including a deformable mirror, so as to compensate for these distortions in real time. This technology allows for correction of both simple and complex optical distortions, thus enhancing spatial resolution of the images. In the company’s 2 meter system, adaptive optics technology ensures that iris images are always centered and focused.
In biometrics, capture of higher quality iris images will result in increased matching accuracy. An individual’s iris patterns also contain much more image information than other routinely used biometrics such as facial recognition, fingerprinting, or hand geometry, giving iris recognition the potential to be the most accurate of any non-invasive technique. The stand-off recognition approach from AOptix, allows for capturing iris and facial images at unmatched distances with superior image quality.
Conventional iris imagers require precise positioning of the eyes and close contact with subject, making them unsuitable for situations that require fast and reliable scanning of a large population. AOptix‘s approach overcomes this drawback by allowing for easy subject participation. The stand-off recognition system facilitates iris image capture without any effort on the part of the subject. Subjects merely position themselves within the specified capture zone and glimpse at the imaging device for a short period. The adaptive optics technology automatically targets the subject’s eye, capturing multiple high quality images at a sufficiently high rate (less than a second), choosing the best image for identification purposes.
“This iris recognition technology suits a wide variety of subjects in government and commercial applications such as border management, bank transactions, national ID cards, access control and other activities that require a high degree of precision in identifying an individual,” says Rangarajan. “The system allows for a choice of encoding and matching algorithms and hence can be customized according to the user’s requirements.”
Recognizing the company’s efforts in addressing the challenges faced by iris recognition modality of biometrics, Frost & Sullivan is proud to confer the 2008 North American Technology Innovation Award in the field of noninvasive biometrics on AOptix.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to the company that has carried out new research, which has resulted in innovations that have or are expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. The Award recognizes the quality and depth of a company’s research and development program as well as the vision and risk-taking that enabled it to undertake such an endeavor.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.
About AOptix Technologies Inc.
AOptix Technologies was formed in 2000 by a group of scientists from the Center for Adaptive Optics at the University of Hawaii who have years of technical expertise in the field of adaptive optics. The company applies adaptive optics technology to the fields of Free Space Optical Communications and biometric identification. It is involved in developing advanced optical solutions to serve the needs of both government and commercial sectors. The company holds several patents in the field of adaptive optics, with further innovations that are patent pending.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership™ empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents.
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