Iris recognition is the top biometrics ID technology, British researchers claim.

The technology beat six other biometric systems, including facial recognition, fingerprint, and vein and voice recognition, in a study conducted by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) on behalf of the Communications Electronics Security Group.

The research, carried out between May and December last year but only just released, claims that iris recognition technology registered a false match rate of zero in more than 2.7 million comparisons.

It also had a false rejection rate of just 1.8 per cent, with no users getting a false rejection after three attempts. This was the lowest false rejection rate of the systems tested, with four of the others tested - including facial recognition, registering a ten to 25 per cent false rejection rate.

"This is perhaps the first independent, objective evaluation comparing all viable biometric technologies," said Bill Voltmer, president and CEO of US biometrics research outfit Iridian Technologies.

"The study reveals..that iris recognition outperforms all other biometrics in the areas that matter most for business, namely accuracy, speed and scalability". ®

Related Link

National Physics Laboratory report

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