We have all seen it in futuristic films and wondered when Iris Recognition technologies will replace picture IDs across the board. What some of us may not know, however, is that the algorithms that form the basis of all iris recognition systems were developed by Dr John Daugman, Reader in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition at the University of Cambridge.

During his Spotlight on Science Talk tonight Dr Daugman will explain how this technology works and where and how it is currently used.

Iris recognition technology combines computer vision, pattern recognition, statistical inference and optics and it provides real-time, high confidence recognition of a person’s identity by mathematical analysis of the random patterns that are visible within the iris of an eye from some distance.

“The iris can serve as a living passport or living password that one doesn’t have to worry about forgetting, because its random texture remains stable and unique throughout life,” said Dr Daugman.

According to Dr Daugman, because the randomness of iris patterns has very high dimensionality, recognition is made with confidence levels high enough to support rapid and reliable exhaustive searches through national-sized databases.

So far, major applications of this technology have been: substituting for passports, aviation security, and controlling access to restricted areas at airports, database access and computer login to name just a few.

The algorithms developed by Dr Daugman have undergone extensive laboratory and field testing and have so far produced no false matches.

“The test reports about the performance of this technology just prove the wisdom of a very old intuition, that ‘the eyes do not lie’,” said Dr Daugman.

Soon we will be able to take our passport off our travel checklist!

Dr Daugman’s lecture is taking place tonight, Monday, 21 March, at the Mill Lane Lecture Room 3 at 7.30pm.

For more information on the talks or The Cambridge Science Festival, please phone 01223 766 766.

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