Touchless solutions provider Idemia has recently launched VisionPass, yet another exciting new innovation by the biometrics industry.

Augmented identity company Idemia’s mission is to enable a secure and trusted environment for performing critical daily activities such as pay, connect, travel or access public or private spaces in the real and digital worlds. One of the company’s latest solutions, an advanced facial recognition device called VisionPass, won the Security Industry Association’s (SIA) Award for the best new biometric product in July.

The device can be used by airport staff to get access to restricted areas that passengers usually can’t enter. Idemia’s vice-president of marketing of biometric devices, Nicolas Raffin, explains more about the company’s aim to transform access control with biometrics.

Since its inception, how has Idemia contributed to improving airport security? 

Idemia provides touchless solutions that identify passengers quickly and securely at each step of their journey in the airport without repeatedly scanning their document. At check in, boarding, security access and especially at immigration, we have developed an interoperable, fully scalable suite of products that support governments to design their border control solutions efficiently with airport constraints. Idemia provides airports with a seamless passenger experience based on the combination of biometric technology and an identity management platform (ID2Travel) and governments with accurate risk assessment (API-PNR). At Changi Airport in Singapore for instance, Idemia has implemented the very first full end-to-end operational system (more than eight million passengers as up today). Travellers identify with their passport at self-bag drop, and then use their biometrics when crossing security and boarding gates. At the border, we developed a completely new generation of e-gates allowing the government and the airport to process in one equipment without compromising on security.

What were the main stages involved in developing VisionPass?

Our team presented the genesis of the VisionPass development that started with a thorough market analysis to understand our customers’ and partners’ deep functional and performances needs. Then, our R&D department used all the feedback to design the product, select the appropriate components and develop and train our algorithms to meet the expressed needs without any concessions.

Our extensive testing shows that our product reaches very high performances, in all light conditions, including complete darkness, and with all kinds of users.

Anti-spoofing was something that was very important, as many of our clients expressed concerns, so we developed an advanced 3D+infrared system combined with our powerful algorithms to make sure that VisionPass cannot be fooled by presenting a picture on a printed sheet of paper or on a smartphone screen, or even using a 3D silicone mask.

What are the main features of VisionPass that contributed to the product winning SIA’s new product showcase award in the biometrics category?

The SIA judges rewarded both the approach and the R&D effort, leading to the best facial recognition product on the market. This award echoes a similar one received in 2018 for MorphoWave, a contactless fingerprint device that scans four fingerprints in less than one second through a quick and fully touchless hand wave gesture. Therefore, with VisionPass and MorphoWave, Idemia offers the market’s most efficient frictionless biometric access control options.