Biometrics startup TouchByte secures grant to develop contactless access control prototype

TouchByte has received nearly £50,000 (roughly US$63,000) in government funding from innovation agency Innovate UK to develop a biometric facial recognition-based contactless physical access control solution for use amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced on Twitter.

“The obvious solution is the ability to use ‘face’ instead. It’s non-invasive, automatic, and most importantly, safe,” Jeremy Sneller, TouchByte’s managing director, told The Packet.

The once popular fingerprint-enabled access or smart keys are no longer considered an ideal solution by some as they do not prevent the virus from spreading across surfaces. The funding has enabled TouchByte to look into contactless solutions for entry access which ensures safety and hygiene practices. Within the next four months, the startup has to present a prototype ready for release.

Together with nine other tech companies, TouchByte was chosen in January to join the Transport for Wales’ (TfW) inaugural accelerator program, Lab, launched in September 2019 in the UK.

Article Topics

access control  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  funding  |  grant  |  research and development  |  TouchByte  |  UK