Idemia licenses advanced optical array developed at ORNL

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has licensed an in-house developed advanced optical array to Idemia‘s Identity & Security division. The portable technology can be used to help identify individuals in challenging outdoor conditions.

According to the announcement the system uses an array of camera lenses that are sensitive to light intensity and direction to capture useable images of subjects inside moving vehicles. Those photos are enhanced with machine learning which results in high-quality composite images. The invention overcomes effects such as low contrast, distance and glare typical when photographing subjects through windshields.

“The technique takes advantage of light field imaging techniques and a computational neural network to address challenges in identity verification, including motion blur, poor lighting conditions, head pose and surface reflection,” explains project lead and co-inventor Hector Santos-Villalobos. The ORNL inventors include Justin Baba, Philip Bingham, David Bolme, Matthew Eicholtz, Regina Ferrell and Christi Johnson. David Cornett III and Seth Baird of ORNL contributed to the project.

“We are pleased to be working with Oak Ridge National Laboratory with the intent to develop high-performance imaging technology that will drive innovation for frictionless vehicle checkpoint crossing,” says Donnie Scott, senior vice president, Public Security for North America at Idemia. “Creating a more frictionless process of monitoring vehicles as they pass through checkpoints while ensuring safety is a commitment that IDEMIA asserts is a priority.”

ORNL notes the technology could also be used for long-range identity verification, as well as in vehicle recognition, vehicle navigation systems and traffic monitoring systems.

Idemia has been adding to its Identity & Security NA division with the appointment of Sean Thompson as Head of Business Development in June and Dan Kent as senior vice president and chief technology officer earlier this month.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  IDEMIA  |  identity verification  |  machine learning  |  Oak Ridge National Laboratory  |  research and development