Today, IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, announced a top-tier finish during the 2020 Biometric Technology Rally, hosted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). During the Rally, IDEMIA’s overall performance significantly exceeded the original goals. The expert in biometrics demonstrated its industry-leading position by consistently ranking among the top three. IDEMIA’s algorithms achieved the best accuracy (True Identification Rate) with and without a mask (code-named West and Fray), and gave an exemplary biometric performance for throughput (Efficiency) and user experience (Satisfaction).

In the face of the pandemic, the 2020 Biometric Technology Rally challenged the biometric industry to bring forward new algorithms that could correctly identify individuals while wearing face masks. During the rally, biometric acquisition systems collected biometric images from a demographically diverse set of volunteers. The images were then processed by matching systems. Notably, this Rally was specifically designed to see how these systems would hold up in real-life settings, including at airports or ports of entry.

IDEMIA’s algorithm achieved over 99.5% True Identification Rate (TIR) without a mask. IDEMIA’s acquisition technology displayed over 95% accuracy with a mask.

“The strong performance of IDEMIA’s biometric technology at the Biometric Technology Rally is a testament to IDEMIA’s 40+ years of leadership in the industry and our commitment to developing the best available solutions for public security, civil identity, border control and enterprise access control challenges. The 2020 Rally was truly an exciting event as we worked alongside other industry leaders to help enable a seamless identification process, even while individuals are wearing masks,” Lisa Sullivan, Vice President of Transportation at IDEMIA.

As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, it is imperative that DHS is able to provide travelers with low-touch options when moving through high traveled areas. Additionally, it will be vital for the biometric industry to meet the rising need for contactless solutions. The 2020 Biometric Technology Rally and IDEMIA’s algorithm show that the industry has made great progress in turning contactless solutions into reality – even with masks.

IDEMIA is a leading technology provider of contactless biometric solutions in the Middle East. Supporting the region’s development for over two decades, IDEMIA’s contactless biometric technology can be found delivering secure and frictionless border control in various international airports such as the ones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and government facilities such as the Dammam Municipality headquarters in Saudi Arabia.