IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, today announced a top tier finish during the 2020 Biometric Technology Rally, hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). The event tested how accurately algorithms could match images of subjects wearing face masks and IDEMIA’s algorithm garnered a True Identification Rate (TIR) of over 90%.
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In the face of the pandemic, the 2020 Biometric Technology Rally challenged the biometric industry to bring forward new algorithms that could correctly identify individuals while wearing face masks. During the rally, acquisition systems collected biometric images from a demographically diverse set of volunteers. The images were then processed by matching systems, which consisted of software systems driven by biometric algorithms. Notably, this Rally was specifically designed to see how these systems would hold up in real-life applications, including at airports or ports of entry.
IDEMIA’s algorithm, along with three others, surpassed the Rally goal of a 99% TIR when identifying someone without a mask on. When the Rally switched to matching volunteers with a mask, IDEMIA’s algorithm received over a 90% TIR, placing it as one of the top five algorithms during the rally.
"The strong performance of IDEMIA’s matching algorithm at the Biometric Technology Rally is a testament to IDEMIA’s 40+ years of leadership in the industry and our commitment to developing the best available solutions for public security, civil identity and border control challenges," said Lisa Sullivan, Vice President of Transportation at IDEMIA. "The 2020 Rally was truly an exciting event as we worked alongside other industry leaders to help enable a seamless identification process, even while individuals are wearing masks."
As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, it is imperative that DHS is able to provide travelers with low-touch options when moving through high traveled areas. Additionally, with President Biden’s recent policy changes around mask wearing, it will be vital for biometric algorithms to meet the rising need for contactless solutions. The 2020 Biometric Technology Rally and IDEMIA’s algorithm shows the industry has made great strides in turning contactless solutions into reality – even with masks.
About IDEMIA
IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, provides a trusted environment enabling citizens and consumers alike to perform their daily critical activities (such as pay, connect and travel), in the physical as well as digital space.
Securing our identity has become mission critical in the world we live in today. By standing for Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust and guarantees secure, authenticated and verifiable transactions, we reinvent the way we think, produce, use and protect one of our greatest assets – our identity – whether for individuals or for objects, whenever and wherever security matters. We provide Augmented Identity for international clients from Financial, Telecom, Identity, Public Security and IoT sectors. With close to 15,000 employees around the world, IDEMIA serves clients in 180 countries.
For further information, go to www.idemia.com and follow @IdemiaGroup on Twitter.
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