The Key Differences between the Biometrix Iris and Retina Scanner Device

By Axon Wireless - Leading Customer Registration Biometric Device Management & MDM Solutions Company

When it comes to biometric identification, there are few systems that are as reliable as those that use a secure biometric retina scanner device and iris recognition solutions. Both these systems have grown immensely popular over the years and are widely used in various industries to improve security and make access more secure and dependable. There are specific characteristics that impact the performance of these models,  depending on the purpose for which they are being installed and the environment in which they are used.

Both of these scanners are considered contactless, but they are not both non-invasive. A retinal scanner requires a light to be shone into the eyes while the iris scanner biometric device solution does not. The world of biometrics is intricate and oftentimes misunderstood.  Iris and retinal scanners appear to many to be the same thing, but there are quite a few differences between the two.Just like our fingerprints are unique to us, every person on the planet has a unique retina, In fact, not twins have the same retinas. A retina can be altered due to medical conditions,  but they never so much that they are completely changed.

Why is retina scanning important for biometrics?

Retina scanning is mostly used by government agencies and big, corporate business. It is known for its immense reliability and the unsurpassed security that it provides. Biometric retinal scanners are slowly being introduced into other industries, but it is a slow process due to the fact that these scanners can be very expensive and it will be some time before it joins the mainstream security technology.

How does the iris scanner biometric device solution works?

Iris recognition is a form of automated biometric identification that makes use of mathematical pattern recognition. These techniques then create video images of your iris, The complex patterns are the focus of the data being collected.

What is the Iris?

It is the colourful circular structure within the eye and its function is to control the size and the diameter of your pupil, and in turn, control the amount of light that reaches your retina. Based on the amount of light that enters your eye, the iris expand or contract the pupil. The larger the pupil the more light can enter. For successful Iris recognition camera technology equipped with gentle infrared lighting is a necessity. Why? To get all of the necessary details from the iris to create the pattern which will be used as recognition. The digital templates created with the scan are encoded from the patterns using both statistical and mathematical algorithms. Once this is done, the positive identification of individuals is possible each time the iris is scanned. The digital templates are stored in a secure database and it takes mere seconds to sort through the millions of templates and locate the one that matches the person being scanned. These systems have hundreds of millions of templates from people all over the world, making them perfect for border control and national Identification systems. Two great benefits other than the iris is unique and impossible to replicate, is that the iris is internally protected so it cannot be damaged and the number of false matches is next to nothing.