MegaMatcher 2.1 fuses face and fingerprint to provide unambiguous identification

(13/05/2008)

Neurotechnology has announced the availability of MegaMatcher 2.1 SDK for the development of large-scale automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) and multi-biometric face-fingerprint identification systems.

MegaMatcher 2.1 includes a number of new features and enhancements, including live face detection functionality, improved cluster fault tolerance, support for a wider range of international standards and Java compatibility for implementation of Internet-based identification systems and easier integration into existing systems.

MegaMatcher, which received full NIST MINEX certification last year, includes both fingerprint and face identification engines with a fusion algorithm that allows the two technologies to work together to provide very fast 1:N (1 to many) matching with even higher reliability than AFIS or facial recognition alone.

MegaMatcher 2.1 is optimized for use in automated biometrical identification systems for both forensic and civil applications, such as crime scene investigations, border crossings, passport and visa documentation, election control systems and even credit card transactions where the need for both fast and accurate identification is paramount.

The fused face/fingerprint algorithm in MegaMatcher 2.1 can produce up to 400,000 matches per second on a single processor PC; and with enhanced fault-tolerant, scalable cluster software, MegaMatcher 2.1 can perform extremely fast, parallel fingerprint and face matching across multiple PCs using databases of practically unlimited size.

New live face detection technology in MegaMatcher 2.1 is especially useful for eliminating fraud in Web-based applications because it can verify if the face being presented in a remote client location is a live person as opposed to a previously captured image.

“The demand for large-scale and Internet-based identification applications is growing, and with this update to MegaMatcher we’re making it easier for our customers to develop these types of systems using our most powerful and scaleable biometric identification algorithms,” said Algimantas Malickas, CEO of Neurotechnology.

The MegaMatcher fingerprint algorithm is tolerant to fingerprint translation, rotation and deformation and has the ability to match between rolled and flat fingerprints. When multiple fingerprints have been scanned at the same time, the fingerprint segmentation functionality in MegaMatcher can automatically segment them into separate fingerprints. And for forensic applications, MegaMatcher 2.1 includes an API for the editing of latent fingerprint templates, such as those collected from crime scenes.

MegaMatcher 2.1 includes enhanced fault tolerance functionality when the system is used in a cluster. If a cluster node faults, MegaMatcher 2.1 automatically passes the content to other nodes, without requiring re-initialization. This virtually eliminates down-time due to node failures, makes the system more reliable and helps to ensure non-stop processing.

MegaMatcher 2.1 supports all of the standards implemented in previous versions of MegaMatcher, including WSQ, ANSI/INCITS 378-2004 (Finger Minutiae Format for Data Interchange); ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2000 (Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial, & Scar Mark & Tattoo (SMT) Information) and ISO/IEC 19794-2 (Fingerprint minutiae data).

In addition, MegaMatcher 2.1 adds support for additional standards, including:
o BioAPI 2.0 (ISO/IEC 1978-1:2006) Framework and Biometric Service Providers (BSP) for face and fingerprint identification engines
o ISO/IEC 19794-4 (Information technology – Biometric data interchange formats – Finger image data)
o ISO/IEC 19794-5 (Information technology – Biometric data interchange formats – Face image data)
o ANSI INCITS 381-2004 (American National Standard for Information Technology – Finger Image-Based Data Interchange Format)
o ANSI INCITS 385-2004 (American National Standard for Information Technology – Face Recognition Format for Data Interchange)

Multi-biometric systems that incorporate both face and fingerprint identification offer a number of advantages. Using the multi-biometric technology in MegaMatcher 2.1, developers and integrators can create systems where both face and fingerprint can be scanned at the same time using inexpensive hardware such as a fingerprint scanner and a simple Webcam or photo scanner (for example, scanning a passport photo).

A multi-biometric system based on MegaMatcher 2.1 provides both greater convenience and matching speed for the user and a much higher level of security, even when using very large databases, because the fusion of both face and fingerprint provides unambiguous identification.

MegaMatcher 2.1 is compatible with other Neurotechnology products, including VeriFinger, VeriLook and the FaceCell and FingerCell embedded development kits. All components of MegaMatcher 2.1 can be used on both Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems.

MegaMatcher 2.1 Standard SDK (formerly known as MegaMatcher Light SDK) and MegaMatcher 2.1 Extended SDK (formerly known as MegaMatcher SDK) are available now with competitive licensing options through Neurotechnology or from distributors worldwide. A 30-day trial version with full functionality is also available for download.

Related topics:  Building access control system   Face biometrics   Fingerprint biometrics 

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