|
Science behind the Technology
The iris has been historically recognized to possess characteristics unique to each individual. In the mid-1980s, two ophthalmologists--Drs. Leonard Flom and Aran Safir--proposed the concept that no two irises are alike. They researched and documented the potential of using the iris for identifying people and were awarded a patent in 1987. Soon after, the intricate and sophisticated algorithm that brought the concept to reality was developed by Dr. John Daugman [1] and patented in 1994. The original work and continued development have established Iridian's [2] iris recognition algorithm as the mathematically unrivaled means for authentication.
The technical performance capability of the iris recognition algorithm far surpasses that of any other biometric technology now available. Objective measures, such as a cross-over error rate, are at levels that cannot be reached by other biometrics. Iridian's algorithm is designed for rapid (seconds) exhaustive search of very large databases; a distinctive capability required for authentication today.
What is Iris?
The iris is the plainly visible, colored ring that surrounds the pupil. It is a muscular structure that controls the amount of light entering the eye, with intricate details that can be measured, such as striations, pits, and furrows. The iris is not to be confused with the retina, which lines the inside of the back of the eye. Fig.1 shows human eye characteristics.
No two irises are alike. There is no detailed correlation between the iris patterns of even identical twins, or the right and left eye of an individual. The amount of information that can be measured in a single iris is much greater than fingerprints, and the accuracy is greater than DNA.
eyejudge.com