Real Live Biometrics in Simulated Flights – Identity News Digest

Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:

French Minister Announces Biometric Proof of Life System for Algerian Pensioners

A French minister has announced plans to implement a mobile-based biometric proof-of-life system for pensioners living in Algeria. The system will be based on facial recognition, and will eliminate the need for pensioners to visit a bank in person to prove that they are still alive. It will be pilot tested starting in the spring of this year, with plans to make it mandatory starting January 1, 2027, according to draft legislation.

Research Paper Details Fine-Grained Approach to Face Biometrics

A researcher from the Department of Criminal Science and Technology at China’s Jilin Police College has published a new paper detailing a face attribute recognition algorithm that is based on fine-grained features, including methods for global and local feature extraction, multiscale feature exchange, and fusion to capture comprehensive facial details. The researcher’s algorithm was tested against three others using the CelebA dataset, and was found to have the highest average recognition accuracy.

TSA Demos Traveler Screening Tech in Virginia

The Transportation Security Administration demonstrated face-based traveler screening technology at the Richmond International Airport in Virginia at the end of last week. Officials emphasized the face-scanning system’s enhanced security, and privacy protocols requiring photos to be deleted after travelers are verified. The PR effort comes after the TSA brought a face-scanning “Touchless ID” system to Chicago’s O’Hare and the Los Angeles International Airport last month.

RSAF’s Helicopter Simulator to Feature Biometric Sensors

Spain-based Indra has won a contract to develop a helicopter simulator for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) that will include biometric sensors to assess trainees. The aim is to immerse trainees in highly realistic simulations of both regular helicopter missions and emergency scenarios, including under challenging environmental conditions.

ROC Upgrades SDK, Officially Rebrands

ROC has launched the third-generation iteration of its biometric software development kit, which supports the face, fingerprint, and iris modalities. It also has more general computer vision capabilities, with support for object recognition. In a statement, ROC co-founder and Chief Scientist Brendan Klare emphasized the platform’s advancements with respect to fingerprint and iris recognition in particular. “Our iris algorithm can search databases 100 times faster than competitors, while our fingerprint algorithm identifies latent prints over 150 times faster than any other solution benchmarked in NIST ELFT,” he said. The company itself, meanwhile, has announced its official rebrand from its previous name, Rank One Computing.

Trustly Leverages Socure Tech for Onboarding

Trustly, a prominent open banking company, is now using Socure’s solution for customer onboarding. While the latter supports selfie-based identity verification, in a statement announcing the partnership, the companies emphasized Socure’s use of “predictive analytics” and its capability of matching end user data against a database of more than two billion identities. Trustly Chief Business Development Officer Craig McDonald explained that the partnership enables Trustly clients to “provide a seamless onboarding and payment solution for their consumers and realize increased conversion.”

Identiv Launches Biometric Access Solution

California-based Identiv has launched a new biometric access control kiosk aimed at the federal market. The ScrambleFactor solution features a fingerprint sensor and a touchscreen, and supports RFID scanning and PINs. Identiv Premises General Manager Mark Allen said the device is “designed to be perpetually updated and upgraded,” in order to ensure that customers can equip it with new capabilities in the future. The device will be showcased at ISC West, which is slated to run from April 9 to 12 in Las Vegas.

Worldcoin Parent Acquires Crypto Wallet Startup

Tools for Humanity, the company behind Worldcoin, has acquired Ottr Wallet, a digital wallet specialist and contributor to Worldcoin’s biometric digital identity project. The Ottr and Tools for Humanity teams met last year, and quickly recognized an opportunity for collaboration. Tools for Humanity invited Ottr to lead the development of Worldcoin’s consumer app and mobile wallet, the World App, which the companies say is now serving more than three million users monthly. Read the full story on Mobile ID World.

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March 4, 2024 – by Alex Perala