IDEMIA Licenses ORNL Imaging Technology to ID Subjects in Moving Vehicles

IDEMIA Identity & Security USA has licensed an optical array for identifying individuals in challenging outdoor conditions from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The system captures high-quality images of subjects inside moving vehicles using an array of camera lenses that are sensitive to light intensity and direction.

Scientists demonstrated an early prototype of the optical array developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Courtesy of Butch Newton/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy.

The invention overcomes effects such as low contrast, distance, and glare typical when photographing subjects through windshields. Project lead and co-inventor Hector Santos-Villalobos said that the new system takes advantage of light field imaging techniques and a computational neural network to address challenges in identity verification such as motion blur, poor lighting conditions, head pose, and surface reflection.

ORNL scientists took photographs through the windshields of moving vehicles and used machine learning to correct for problem features, shown from left to right, and produce a reconstructed, clear composite image. Courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy.

The technology could be used for long-range identity verification, as well as in vehicle recognition, vehicle navigation systems, and traffic monitoring systems. As applied by IDEMIA, it has the potential to expedite vehicles at critical checkpoints. “Creating a more frictionless process of monitoring vehicles as they pass through checkpoints while ensuring safety is a commitment that IDEMIA asserts is a priority,” said Donnie Scott, senior vice president, public security for North America at IDEMIA.