From mobile credentials to smart locks, MIT access control solutions help users achieve better security and management efficiency. This article looks at some of Taiwan’s access control innovations on display at Secutech.
Needless to say, access control technologies have become more advanced and cutting-edge. From mobile credentials to smart locks, made-in-Taiwan access control solutions help users achieve better security and management efficiency. This article looks at some of Taiwan’s access control innovations that were on display at Secutech held May 7 to 9.
Access by way of facial recognition
One of the access control-focused exhibitors was Yoke RIFD, which, as its name suggests, is an expert in RFID. The company has been involved with Taiwan’s Easy Card technology for 27 years, with related solutions deployed in various Taiwan metro rapid transit (MRT) systems including Taoyuan MRT and Kaohsiung MRT.
The company also specializes in advanced access control solutions. At the show this year Yoke RFID displayed their facial recognition reader that is made in Taiwan, supports 3D face liveness detection and uses Cyberlink’s FaceMe facial recognition algorithm. The reader enables 1:N verification against databases of up to 50,000 stored faces, allows a recognition distance of 0.5 to 1.5 meters, has an accuracy rate of 98.95 percent, and can authenticate a person in less than one second.
“We emphasize speed,” said Wilson Ting, Market Director at Yoke RFID, adding strong data security measures are another key differentiator. “This reader itself complies with the OSDP protocol. All data transmitted are encrypted,” Ting said. “Most of our readers and controllers use the OSDP protocol which allows secure and reliable communications between access control devices.”
Mobile access control sets the trend
Needless to say, one of the major trends in access control is the use of mobile credentials, with which users can open doors with their smart devices. In many ways mobile credentials present a more effective access control solution because, as opposed to keyfobs or cards, the user is less likely to forget or lose their smart devices.
That said, several Secutech exhibitors showcased their mobile access control solutions at the show this year. Chiyu Technology, for example, displayed their solution where the user only needs to download the Chiyu app and point the device to the reader, and the door opens. The aforementioned Yoke RFID also displayed a reader they developed in conjunction with Chunghwa Telecom, allowing users to open doors with their iPhone.
Superior Electronics, another exhibitor, has decades of experience developing and making RF (radio frequency)-based access control products. The company had on display its various related solutions including 3- and 4-channel RF receivers. Meanwhile, Superior also demonstrated their Bluetooth-enabled products including the mullion Bluetooth keypad with reader and the Bluetooth post-mount keypad with proximity reader – both supporting mobile access control as well as other authentication factors.
“The thing about Bluetooth, obviously, is that a user can use their smartphone. You know, they're smart,” said a Superior spokesperson at the booth, adding all their access control products are easily managed from users’ smart devices
“The programming is all done through an app on a phone. So the administrator’s app, when he logs in, he programs anything he wants to. You can set it to say, stay open, like for a store, or then to say close, like when closing time where you don’t want anybody to have access except you, of course. You don't have to have the special skills or remember all the key codes and things like that,” he said.
Taiwan Excellence Lock Pavilion
One of the main attractions of this year’s Secutech was the Taiwan Excellence Lock Pavilion where cutting-edge MIT smart locks were on display. One of the exhibitors was I-TEK, which has been a long-time lock OEM but has also launched their own brand Klacci. With mobile access control being a major trend, I-TEK had at the show their smart lock supporting mobile credentials. The lock is already deployed in residential buildings in southern Taiwan as well as certain bed and breakfasts on the island.
“Mobile access control has become a trend. Many hotels in foreign countries already use mobile phones to unlock doors. Keycards are costly to produce and recycle. So of course they hope that users will use mobile phones,” said Shen Pei-hsuan, VP of Marketing at I-TEK. “Adoption in Taiwan is slower, but it’ll all change.”
Another differentiator of Klacci locks is their robustness. “We have passed the UL1 fire test, which certifies that we meet stringent safety standards and provide adequate protection in a fire scenario,” Shen said.
Other companies within the pavilion included Tong Lung Metal Industry, which makes some of their smart locks for their parent company Kwikset, which in turn is a subsidiary of ASSA ABLOY. The company had on display a home smart lock that supports facial recognition, allowing the resident to open the door with their face. Waferlock, another Taiwan company, also showcased various smart locks targeting residential and hospitality sectors. It’s worth noting that given these industries are experiencing a shortage in manpower, Waferlock has designed a service robot for them. The robot was on display at their booth.
Product Adopted:Others