IriTech to release FiDELYS smartwatch with iris recognition

IriTech announced it will release the world’s first iris recognition enabled smartwatch, FiDELYS, by launching a crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo on July 9th.

The news comes on the heels of Microsoft’s announcement that it will launch its new smartwatch platform equipped with 11 biometric sensors in October.

According to the promotional video on FiDELYS’ website, the watch has a small camera attached to the base of its screen that captures an image of the individual’s eye to automatically unlock secure websites and services.

The watch’s user interface will feature a rotating-clicking bezel as opposed to a touchscreen.

IriTech CEO Daniel Kim said that the watch uses “IriTech’s military grade iris recognition algorithms to enhance security around our digital life and further for the Internet-of-Things”.

“Our expertise of embedding our strong algorithm in a compact form-factor at a competitive price is a perfect fit for smartwatches, which will be the center of wearables and IoT,” said Jungwoon Ryu, head of business development at iriTech. “We want to play a role in enhancing the security and solving inefficiencies by developing the FiDELYS. We have already developed an application called FIYO (For-Your-Iris-Only) for password replacement and encryption of files and data back in 2012 and available on Google Play with our IriShield cameras, which are compatible with Windows, Android and Linux. We are developing for Apple products at the moment. Now is the time to bring it to consumers. With IriShield, FYIO and FiDELYS, we hope to bring peace of mind to people in the digital world. That’s the whole point of biometrics. To reduce concerns over privacy and security.”

In addition to password management, IriTech says the iris recognition system can be used to safeguard files and apps on mobile devices or computers, as well as secure other connected devices and products in the future.

The FiDELYS performs a range of other functions, including notifying users to incoming calls, messages and emails, a near field communications for unlocking compatible locks, authenticating online payments, a built-in heart rate sensor and pedometer for fitness tracking, and wireless charging abilities.

The company has not specified the smartwatch’s operating system, but it will likely be proprietary considering FiDELYS’ compatibility with Android, Windows and Linux, as well as iOS and OS X in the future.

Pre-orders of $200 will be offered on the Indiegogo page once it launches, with an expected retail cost of $250. The smartwatch is expected to ship in April 2015.

Article Topics

access control  |  Android  |  camera  |  iOS  |  iris recognition  |  IriTech  |  smartwatch  |  Windows