Security Layer
THE WEIGHT IS IMPORTANT
The new biometric access control system will not only check the fingerprints, but will also measure the weight
I"m producing a pass to the system, pressing my finger… “The access is denied”, the computer answers me. Well, naturally, because the pass was not mine, and my fingerprints were not in the database of the system presented at the booth of “ROSAN” at the Watermark Conference. “ROSAN” was the only company at the Watermark Conference to present the biometric access control system. The report of Dmitry Dunaev, Deputy General Director of “ROSAN”, was dedicated to the personnel access control as a part of the manufactured product security process. He told the Conference participants about the biometric access control system MFbio, to which, besides the fingerprint and the 2D face image, another criterion is added – the person’s weight check. After the report Dmitriy Dunaev answered the questions of the Watermark.
— “ROSAN” is known to many people first of all as the manufacturer of various plastic cards…
— “ROSAN” was founded in 1995. It works both in the Russian and international markets. “ROSAN” is the system integrator of projects connected with identification documents, access control systems etc. Besides, we really produce plastic and paper cards of various types, including contactless smart cards, and we are one of the leaders of this market sector.
— What are the peculiarities of the MFbio biometric access control system?
— We were the first to include the weight detector into the access control system. It is incorporated into the platform of the sluice. Now the system may definitely confirm that it was exactly that person who entered, and that he was alone.
— What biometric characteristics are used in your system?
— At the moment the system works with the fingerprints. The ability to work with other biometric characteristics is implied in it. In the nearest future we are planning to sell systems using the 2D face image. Of course, the weight is an additional feature. The face geometry and the fingerprint are necessary to make sure that it is the man, the weight shows that he is alone.
— How does the system work?
— The sluice is a sort of “a glass” with doors on both sides. The person produces the pass and goes inside. At this moment he appears on the weighing machine located on the springs – the weight is measured with the help of the electronic weighing machine. The person identification process is accompanied with the fingerprint scanning. The system has checked and compared all the data. If everything has matched, the other door opens and the person passes the sluice.
— Have you already introduced the system to the market?
— We have introduced the system with fingerprints identification, but not the one with the 2D face image. We use the 2D face image in other projects.
— Are there any equivalents to the MFbio system?
— I would certainly like to say that our system is unique. But there are quite a lot of access control systems in the market today. There are two trends. First of all, small systems with “one door”. Such a database may consist of a few dozens of fingerprints. Such systems are applied at villas, cottages or small companies. The second trend of the biometric system development is the biometric reader integration into the already existing access control system. These systems worked with cards previously, now biometric detectors are added to them. But there is a problem with them: due to the fact that the system was not oriented to biometrics initially, it is quite difficult to load the data.
If there is the integrating access control system, it is possible to use multibiometrics, i.e. to check not one biometrical feature but two. It helps, especially in cases when one biometrical feature cannot be read. For example, it is impossible to take the fingerprint if the hand is absent. Such systems simultaneously use, for instance, the fingerprint and the 2D face image. Or the iris and the 2D face image. Such a system has very good chances to turn a wrong person from the door and in great probability to give access to the right person. We implemented this very approach in our MFbio system.
As for our system, we are expanding the functions by adding the weight. Of course, the weight of the person changes, therefore it is impossible to identify the person with this parameter only. But it is possible to make sure that the person is alone, and our system is really unique in that.
— Where can it be used?
— At special security territories. These are personalization centers, banks and other enterprises manufacturing products, which require special attention and process technology security, for example, security products manufactured by Goznak. Besides, these may be enterprises where it is important to limit the physical flow of people, to know the whereabouts of the person. Our aim is to secure the physical access system.
— How heavy is the competition in this field?
— We hope that we are the only ones in this segment. But the segments of our market cross over, and our system may be used for daily performance record, for example.
— Am I correct in understanding that your company does not develop technologies?
— These systems development market is divided into specialized segments. There are the so-called vendors — those who develop the biometric technologies, and there are integrators – those who apply them in their systems. The biometric developments are not ours. In particular, we use both Russian and foreign technologies. Our company creates the system: we develop databases, inner operation algorithms, modules, software.
Tatyana Balueva
