Smart Engines algorithm update improves speed and accuracy scanning ID documents’

Smart Engines has updated its algorithms for improved accuracy and speed when scanning MRZ, or Machine Readable Zone documents, according to a company announcement.

The new Smart Code Engine 1.12.0 comes with better performance in detecting MRZs, 10 percent faster scanning, and error rates slashed by two-thirds, the company says.

An MRZ is what that chevron-heavy field at the bottom of a passport’s ID page is called, and it contains personal data that can only be read by a machine. For border crossings, check-ins, flight bookings and remote customer identification, MRZ works to facilitate document processing and make travel administration procedures more efficient. Recognized worldwide and formatted to ISO/ICAO standards, Smart Engines says its MRZ scanning offers security and simplicity for such uses as filing taxes or making bank withdrawals on a mobile phone.

The new Smart Code Engine recognizes MRZ on passports, visas, ID cards, permits and other types of documentation globally. In addition, the new system also complies with specific national standards for France, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Kenya and Ecuador.

“In the new version of the Smart Code Engine, we have completely redesigned the MRZ search algorithms,” says Smart Engines CEO Vladimir Arlazarov. “We now support MRZ scanning with a much wider range of scales, making the process as easy as possible for the user.” Arlazarov also notes that refinements to its optical character recognition (OCR) technology contribute to the enhanced accuracy of the new Smart Code Engine.

As with much technology designed to be interpreted by machines, security is a paramount issue. Like its competitors in the sector, Smart Engines’ announcement specifies that its system works offline, and does not require transfer of information to third parties.

Designed in the 1980s to make airport identity verification smoother, MRZ is now used in an array of identification technologies, including increasing access speeds to RFID chips in biometric ID systems.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  document reader  |  identity document  |  OCR  |  Smart Engines