The Israeli company C-True is displaying in Milipol 2009 a family of security systems utilizing the company’s face recognition biometric system. Combining image capture, display and image processing of face recognition technology, C-True has developed a family of unattended systems designed to perform check-in and boarding control at airports, handle e-passports at immigration gates and provide access control to secured areas, from high security operations areas to members-only clubs and backstage areas.
Initiating a dialog with a new customer, the system performs a quick 3D scan of the subject’s face, employing an algorithm that analyzes facial features and assigns the persons a unique ID. The system performs this process autonomously, without any operator support. C-True employs a combination of face recognition identification techniques, including mapping face features and special distinguishing marks, skin tone and skin texture. Under normal conditions, the system provides high probability (99.99%) positive identification. The company has implemented the technology in a line of products solutions, including the C-Gate passenger authentication system used at airports and the C-Pass, providing a comprehensive e-Passport authenticating systems, processing passengers through immigration point of entry. The system is also providing access control.
An implementation of C-True technology is the ‘C-Gate’ passenger authentication system (Photo at left), utilizing facial recognition to visually match passengers that have checked in, with passengers boarding the aircraft at the gate. This procedure addresses an IATA requirement that specify that only the person that checks in can board the aircraft. The C-Gate captures an image of the passenger at the check in desk. Enrolment through the system takes less than a second, requiring merely the passenger looking into the system. The images captured at check-in are processed to deliver a personal ID, matched with the passengers’ destination and flight. From this point till departure, passengers can be identified, tracked and eventually cleared to board an aircraft with a high degree of confidence and minimal intrusive and delaying security checks. Security systems can also leverage the airlines frequent flying members lists or other providers loyalty programs such as rent-a-car agencies, shopping clubs, VIP lounges etc., facilitating rapid and automatic ID verification, routing known passengers through a ‘green path’ with high level of confidence.
Since 2005, governments have been issuing electronic passports (e-Passports) with integrated circuits, to permit storage of a digital image of the passport photograph for use with face recognition technology, which is used to improve identity verification and reduce identity-related fraud. Leveraging the wide distribution of e-Passports, C-True has also launched the C-Pass, a complete solution that matches e-Passport facial data to passengers’ faces in real time.
The system obtains the passport’s holders biometric and personal data from the e-passport, and authenticates it with the passports’ printed information. The solution is fully compliant with Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD), with ICC/chip, as per ICAO (DG2, ISO/IEC 19794-5:2005).
The new system will assist border control, customs and security officials to verify passenger’s identity, allowing for rapid processing, while increasing security, control and response to heightened alerts. The system could also be integrated in self service kiosk for passenger authentication. Such technology is already implemented in C-True’s “SmartGate” kiosks, employing the C-Entry access control system and C-Gates, a document authentication system.
