From:	Benjamin Pflugmann
Subject:	Re: [OT] Real World SR: Iris-scanning technology
Date:	Mon, 14 Apr 1997 22:20:04 +0100

>
> Skye Comstock said on 20:34/13 Apr 97...
>
> > I'm aware that military installations have all this wizzer iris-scanning
> > stuff, but this is a bit more public than that. The following text is out
> > of a small column in the Technology section of the Seattle Times/PI,
> > Sunday Edition. All copyrights... blah blah blah.
> >
> > "Get cash in a wink; bank test iris-scanning ATM
> >
> > Getting cash from a Citibank automatic-teller machine one day may seem
> > like a throwback to the movie "Mission: Impossible."
> >
> > The Citicorp unit is testing a device that will require customers to
> > have one of their irises scanned before an ATM will spit out cash.
> > If the scan matches a digital image of the customer's iris on file with
> > the bank, the customer could continue to use the ATM.
> [snip]
> >
> > Any typos are mine, not the paper's. This is rather nifty so I thought
> > that I'd post it.
>
> Out of date already... I was watching CNN the other day, where I saw a
> report about face-recognition software. The main purpose seemed to be for
> use in ATMs: when you insert your card, a video camera takes a picture of
> your face and the computer compares it to the faces on file. (One minor
> drawback is that it can't differentiate between identical twins, though.)

Hm. This software is good for recognizing people (searching a name that fits
to that face), but not for security things... it would be to stupid to
recognize that you are holding a picture of the person in the correct size.
(or try a simple mask)

Though, iris-scanning cannot be fooled by a picture since:
1. The picture would have a too bad resolution
2. The movement of your iris (opening and closing, there is a light
shivering) is recognized from the better systems.

Or is there something that makes the picture method more secure?
(The range that is treated as correct must be big, since it is possible that
you were at holidays since the last taken picture... or another thing: look
how your picture in your driving license or so looks like and you know what
I mean.)

Bye,

Benjamin.

--
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