IDEMIA - Global Biometric platform leverages ML and AI solutions developed in India

 Continuing our series on Aatmanirbhar --- R&D on Biometric Technologies in India is growing fast

Hundreds of employees at the IDEMIA headquarters in Noida, UP, walk in every morning and wave their fingers (horizontally) through an optical console on a device that is now considered one of the world’s most advanced Contactless biometric access & attendance solution. And partly developed in India. IDEMIA employees wave their fingers (without touching) over the panel (called the Platen area) as the digital screen on top recognizes the finger print, lights up and flashes a message -- Access Permitted.

The MorphoWave is a biometric device that reads 4 fingerprints in one go using an Artificial Intelligence based algorithm along with a high-end graphics processor. It became popular during the Pandemic, to overcome the fear of touching exposed surfaces and soon became one of the world’s most advanced 3D fingerprint contactless authentication technology.

MorphoWave is ideal for time & attendance, and access use cases in organizations that have large numbers of employees.

A large part of the MorphoWave biometric algorithms have been created by IDEMIA's India team working out of its Noida headquarters. Nearly 800 engineers and software developers work here to create high-end software for Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and video analytics solutions (for emerging technologies like Facial Recognition, Payment Card solutions, and Identity).

The strong R&D team in Noida develops software solutions which are incorporated into world-class hardware at factories in France and shipped to over 180 countries globally. This is Indian R&D for global markets.

" We are wielding technological expertise available in India with the presence of Global R&D and Global Digital Platforms to create innovative solution based on biometrics, AI and cryptography for our clients across the world,” said Matthew Foxton, IDEMIA India Regional President.

“The MorphoWave scanner is capable of handling up to 50 scans per minute,” said Peeyush Jain, Vice President - India and APAC, Corporate Identity, Public Security and Identity Business Unit. This is ideal for deploying in premises like factories and large enterprises where large numbers of workers and employees stream into and out of the office or factory premises at peak hours.

IDEMIA’s customers include India’s leading Oil and Gas companies, E-Commence companies, commercial builders, Govt. organizations, Financial institutions, Telecom companies, industries and other establishments.

The IDEMIA biometric scanners (touch based) are also used by the UIDAI, for Aadhar enrollments. One of the core technologies underlying IDEMIA products is the security and encryption solution that ensures that these data point are never breached. Both the contact and contactless products store the details in highly encrypted formats which are destroyed if there is any tampering with the hardware.

The MorphoWave scanners can be deployed for easy access to parking lots as drivers simply wave and pass through, or at factories, entry gates and at Cafeterias in large organizations. Employees biometrics is assimilated with payment solutions at these latter locations. Food can be ordered and paid by just waving one’s hand over the device.

The MorphoWave scanner uses heavy duty Graphic Processing Units or GPUs (from industry leader NVIDIA). The GPUs are capable of processing huge video files (which are the 3D template  of fingers) and crunching them very fast for quick comparison with local database. . The need for such high end graphics processors are also required to ensure accurately capture finger prints that are moving fast. The fingers move fairly quickly across the platen  (in about one second). These finger templates are quickly referenced to a stored database of approved biometrics. It verifies and authenticates in milliseconds.

The MorphoWave technology was originally launched in 2016. It has been installed in more than 18,000 gates worldwide, according to IDEMIA. The Biometric device is integrated with most of global access control platforms, like gates and turnstiles.