Comnetix to power research at University of Calgary biometrics lab

Toronto, ON – July 26, 2004 – Biometric developer Comnetix says that the University of Calgary’s biometric technologies laboratory has selected Comnetix’ technology to power research in the areas of biometric data modeling and simulation. The company says it will be providing the lab with a biometric workstation to capture and process digital fingerprint and facial recognition data as part of a contract valued at under $100,000.

The university’s lab focuses on synthesizing biometric data – for example, modeling fingerprint and signature forgeries as well as aging or surgically changed faces – which is then used for testing biometric systems. A challenge facing many biometric technologies today is that product vendors typically test their systems under very controlled circumstances, or using hypothetical mathematical models. By using complex simulations of fingerprints, signatures and photographs, the lab is testing today’s biometric technologies under much more real world circumstances.

Comnetix says its technology will now power virtually all of the lab’s future research and development activities. The workstation – which includes a live scan fingerprinting device, digital camera and matching engines for fingerprint and facial recognition – will integrate directly with the lab’s databases, artificial intelligence tools for simulation of biometric data, and other analysis systems.

“The biometric technologies lab was an organizer of the world’s first forum focused on synthesis of biometric data in Calgary in June 2004,” says Svetlana Yanushkevich, professor and head of the lab. “With Comnetix, we can now expand our capabilities to encompass the two most prevalent identifiers in biometric technologies today … fingerprinting and facial recognition.”