Tokyo, Japan and Hong Kong, November 21, 2024 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) has developed a compact face and iris multimodal biometric authentication technology that can be deployed for a wide range of applications. This technology enables high-speed and highly accurate authentication of tens of millions of people, both indoors and outdoors, simply by connecting a camera module to an existing PC or tablet terminal.

Going forward, NEC will continue to develop and demonstrate this technology, aiming to provide it by the end of 2026 for use in applications such as payment and access control in the financial, retail, and entertainment industries.

Multimodal authentication on a tablet device

In recent years, biometric authentication has been gaining popularity around the world. In many cases, especially in financial and payment situations where strict identification is required, two-factor authentication is often performed in combination with presenting a card or entering a password. However, there are concerns that cards and passwords may be forgotten, lost, or stolen, and there is growing demand for secure identity verification without using these methods.

NEC’s face and iris recognition technologies have been evaluated as the world's most accurate on numerous occasions (*1). In 2023, NEC began offering a dedicated face and iris multimodal biometric authentication solution (*2) that includes a camera each for face and iris recognition, a CPU for processing, and a display screen.

Now, by preparing multiple sets of high-quality and low-quality images of the same person and learning from them, NEC has developed the world's first technology (*3) that can use low-quality images to estimate iris features that would ideally be extracted from high-quality images. Using this technology, iris recognition is now possible even with low-resolution images that contain a lot of noise, such as those taken with a facial recognition camera.

Technology overview

This technology also enables both face and iris authentication with a single camera image, and eliminates the need to adjust the camera position to match the user's eye position, thereby achieving faster authentication. Furthermore, the compact camera module can be installed in POS cash registers, ATMs, as well as attached to tablet terminals and other portable devices, enabling the introduction of face and iris multimodal biometric authentication for a wider range of applications both indoors and outdoors.

NEC offers end-to-end digital transformation (DX) services, from strategy and concept consulting to implementation-focused offerings, based on the three pillars of business models, technology, and organization/talent. Additionally, in its shift from a traditional systems integrator to a "Value Driver," NEC restructured its value creation model under the name "NEC BluStellar" (*4), which leverages NEC’s cutting-edge technologies, developed and refined through years of experience and proven cross-industry expertise, aiming to transform business models, address social challenges, resolve management issues faced by customers, and lead them into a brighter future.

Notes:

(*1) NEC ranked No.1 as the world's most accurate face recognition and iris recognition technologies numerous times in vendor tests conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Evaluation results do not represent recommendations by the U.S. government for specific products.

 

(*2) Press Release: NEC launches multimodal biometric authentication solution

 

(*3) As of November 21, 2024, NEC research

 

(*4) NEC provides end-to-end services for digital transformation (DX) through the "NEC BluStellar" value-delivery model. NEC BluStellar transforms business models to address social and business challenges by applying diverse industry insights and world-leading technological expertise to the entire DX process, from customer strategy consultation through implementation.

About NEC Hong Kong Limited

NEC Hong Kong Limited (NECHK), established in 1984, has been rapidly expanding its activities to meet growing customer demands in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.

 

As a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies, NECHK provides innovative solutions and infrastructure to promote safety, security and enhance the quality of life for individuals and the community. NECHK’s expertise includes solutions for biometric identification, smart city, artificial intelligence, public safety, smart aviation solutions, smart transportation solutions, enterprise applications and infrastructure. With a comprehensive range of technical experts and resources, we continuously deliver business value to customers globally. For more information, visit NECHK at https://hk.nec.com/