Cell Phone-based Iris Recognition System to Help Immunisation
Programmes
15 December 2011
"The grant will fund our research in developing a low cost, cell phone-based biometric identification algorithm that is based on visible wavelength imaging of the human iris. This algorithm will be in the form of a simple programme code that can be installed on typical cell phones."
Dr Eldin Lim Wee Chuan, NUS Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.
Dr Lim receiving the Hutchinson Award for the Overall Best Paper on the image reconstruction algorithm presented at the 2010 SECAU Security Congress
Supported by a US$100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an NUS research team is developing a low-cost cell phone application that can be used to identify individuals through iris recognition.
Said Dr Eldin Lim Wee Chuan from the NUS Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering who is leading the project: "The grant will fund our research in developing a low cost, cell phone-based biometric identification algorithm that is based on visible wavelength imaging of the human iris. This algorithm will be in the form of a simple programme code that can be installed on typical cell phones." He added that the programme code will convert each iris image into a simple mathematical equation that can be stored very efficiently in a database and subsequently retrieved for comparison and identification purposes.
When developed, the application can be used to administer and track immunisation programmes in healthcare settings which will be particularly helpful in developing countries. One of the major challenges of immunisation programmes in the developing world is maintaining robust year-to-year vaccination coverage for children. Every year, approximately 25 million infants do not receive the necessary immunisations, and at least 2.4 million children die from vaccine-preventable diseases. A major roadblock is the identification of children or infants and the maintenance of medical records.
With this new invention, administrators of immunisation programmes will simply need to capture images of the iris of each individual to obtain complete identification information and medical records of the respective person. The innovative solution will allow accurate monitoring of vaccination coverage over large geographical areas, as well as rapid determination of individual vaccination status and accurate recording of vaccines administration.
To enhance the accuracy of the iris recognition system, the NUS team intends to rely on visible wavelength (VW) imaging technology instead of the more common Near Infrared (NIR) imaging which has the drawback of pigment melanin information loss.
The team also plans to apply an image re-construction algorithm that they have earlier developed to prove the possibility of accurate representation of real human iris images obtained via VW imaging in the form of mathematical equations.
The team's project was selected from more than 2,000 research proposals submitted for funding under the Grand Challenges Explorations initiative. In the latest round of funding, 110 grants of US$100,000 each were awarded to support innovative proposals to improve nutrition and development in young children, as well as address infectious diseases such as polio and HIV.