Increasingly, facial recognition based on 3D imaging is employed to enhance accuracy and reliability. In this regard, Intel RealSense ID provides an ideal solution, using 3D imaging to make facial recognition more effective.
Facial recognition is becoming more popular and ubiquitous than ever. Increasingly, facial recognition based on 3D imaging is employed to enhance accuracy and reliability. In this regard, Intel RealSense ID provides an ideal solution, using 3D imaging to make facial recognition more effective. This article takes a closer look.
Facial recognition is a biometric access control technology. In access control there are three major authentication factors, namely what you have (cards and keyfobs), what you know (passwords) and what you are (biometrics). Facial recognition is a form of biometric access control where the system authenticates users based on their facial features, which are unique from person to person.
For a long time, facial recognition has leveraged 2D imaging which does not adequately capture depth information in the image taken. This results in various problems. Especially, the issue of spoofing arises, where an unknown user fools the system with the photo or video of a known user and gets away. This has prompted users to consider 3D solutions where depth information is added, making identification more accurate.
Intel RealSense ID comes to the rescue
This is where Intel RealSense ID comes in. Intel RealSense ID, part of the Intel RealSense portfolio, is an on-device facial authentication solution that combines an active stereo-depth sensor to make facial authentication more accurate and effective. This year Intel RealSense ID was on display at ISC West and, along with partner Ones Technology, won two New Product Showcase awards for Biometrics and Mobile Solutions, according to Intel.
Intel RealSense ID works with hardware within the Intel RealSense portfolio, including the D455 depth camera. The camera comes equipped with an RGB sensor and stereoscopic imagers to create depth. That, along with a specialized neural network, makes Intel RealSense ID:
Secure: The solution is fully spoofing-proof. With protection against attacks using photographs, videos, or high‑quality 3D masks, the solution provides 99.76 percent assurance that only the real person is granted access;
Accurate: Intel RealSense ID has a one-in-a-million false-acceptance rate and a 99.87 percent true-acceptance rate. The solution also adapts to changes over time – no matter how much the user’s style or appearance has changed, Intel RealSense ID will learn it over time;
Non-biased: Whereas certain facial recognition solutions are known to have bias against certain ethnic groups, Intel RealSense ID effectively authenticates every skin tone and shade. The solution also authenticates most people from 120 cm to 190 cm in height at a 55 cm distance, catering to children and adults;
Lighting-agnostic: The active depth sensor projects an infrared pattern that enables accurate authentication even in low light conditions.
In addition, privacy protection and cybersecurity are well achieved by the solution, which uses AES-256 encryption on all levels.
Future prospects
Intel RealSense used to be Intel’s Perceptual Computing business. Recently, reports have surfaced that Intel RealSense might begin to operate outside of Intel. According to the
Robot Report, Intel is spinning out RealSense as an independent company, adding this will be done in the first half of 2025, with the new business being an Intel Capital portfolio company.
“Intel incubates leading-edge, disruptive technologies and businesses to validate customer need and market acceptance. At a certain level of scale, it makes sense for these businesses to operate outside of Intel, with the flexibility to operate in a way that the market demands and the ability to invest in key growth areas … The new company will continue to develop AI-powered computer vision solutions and deliver current Intel RealSense portfolio and our committed roadmap, including RealSense depth cameras, facial authentication solutions, autonomous mobile robotic solutions, and physical therapy metrics,” Intel was quoted by the report as saying. With this, what’s to become of RealSense and how the new company will fare on its own remains to be seen.