Technologies for Face Recognition in Access Control

Technologies for Face Recognition in Access Control

In the 1960s, Woodrow Wilson Bledsoe developed a system that could classify photos of faces called facial recognition. Identifying human faces in digital images has variety of applications, from biometrics and healthcare to video surveillance and security. In psychological terms, face identification is a process through which humans locate and attend to faces in a visual scene.

One can consider face detection as a specific case of object class detection. A reliable methodology is based on the eigen-face technique and the genetic algorithm.

Rather than just simply telling you about the basic techniques, we would like to introduce some efficient face recognition algorithms (open source) from latest researches and projects.

• OpenFace
• OpenBR
• SphereFace
• Deep Face Recognition with Caffe Implementation
• Android Face Recognition with Deep Learning

8 from China, where facial recognition has received the most significant recent support:

1. Dahua: "interest but not adoption"
2. Facego: Big parent company, poor marketing
3. Hikvision: Downplayed
4. Longse: Fac Rec "Just for Show"
5. Qualvision: "Frank Comments on NDAA, Face Rec Hype"
6. Sunell: Bold Claims
7. TVT: "that's gonna piss our customers off"
8. ZKTeco: Claims World’s Best Facial Recognition, Calls Hikvision “Cheap Chinese”

Note: China's most prominent facial recognition providers, SenseTime, Megvii Face++, and Yitu.

12 outside of China, mostly US, with one each from Australia, Japan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan:

1. Avycon: ''It Can Detect A Face"
2. Axxonsoft: Frank Comments on 'Accuracy' Ratings
3. Ayonix: Emphasis on Speed
4. Ever AI: Positions Itself as China/Russia Competitor
5. Deepcam: Selling $59 'Facial Recognition' Cams
6. Faceron: Obscure Operations
7. Geovision: 3D Face Map and Gender Recommendations
8. iOmniscient: "20x Cheaper", Touts Chinese Army as Client
9. Panasonic: 'We Beat NEC'
10. Real Networks / SAFR: US Based Facial Recognition for Schools Solution
11. Tough Dog: Tough Time Selling Face Rec Solutions
12. Virdi: World's Best / No Evidence

Suprema has a facial recognition reader called facestation 2 and also had a new face lite which was introduced in 2019. Idemia VisionPass uses visual cameras, IR, and '3D' Time-of-Flight sensors to establish face 'liveness' and scan faces to verify users. VisionPass unit supports IR scanning, capacity for more user templates, and is compatible with OSDP. Idemia pricing is higher, often 2X to 3X higher for VisionPass compared to facial recognition models emerging from China.

1- There are two main technologies for Face Recognition:

- Optical solutions (CCTV based): these are based on algorithm/pixel performance only. It can be used as black listing (Stadium, Retail, Vandalism) but it is not enough for white listing (i.e.: access control).

- Infra Red Solutions (Suprema and others): these are based on Light emission + IR sensors + Algorithm + processing power. Advantage of IR are: distance 15cm to 1.5m (it filters background and all related issues), works in any light conditions (unlike CCTV that can take a face with sun from the side), makeup/painting on face, Face Face/Images detection (easier than Optical). These ones are safe enough to be used for white listing (=access control).

2- FaceLite is working same as Suprema FaceStation2, with Infra-Red templates (it's compatible).

Cool stuff: FaceLite is 43% smaller (size) than FaceStation2, and the price follow the same 43% off trend. That brings the Flite IR face recognition reader to the price of Fingerprint reader (= BioLite Net : BLN2-OAB). But still you have the high performance/reliability/security. No sacrifice on this!

Limitation: Face template is too big to be encoded on a card (>8KB) and Suprema Face Models are "evolutive" (maching learning: each time you check your face on a reader, it is updated). The related drawback is that Face cannot be stored on RFID cards (EV1/EV2 / Seos). Instead it is stored in Central Database or in Reader itself (my preference). The # of face models are limited to 3,000 (1:N, Identification) and to 30,000 (1:1, Verification, that case you need to swipe a card or input an ID before authentication). Compared to FaceStation2 (FS2), you also lose the second optical camera (that I like for user interface or Picture logs), you lose the large touch screen, you lose Android OS, you lose the Video Intercom possibility. But that's in line with the 43% off in price point!

Privacy: Face templates are stored on central server (encryption: AES 256) or on readers (AES 128), with possible "Tamper secure" option => if the reader is removed from wall, it factory resets and loses all memory (Users, Face Models, Logs, Encryption keys, ..). Face Models are being transported from Central Server <=> Readers via TCP, using TLS 1.2 encryption/certificate.

Product Name		FaceStation 2		FaceLite
Model Name		FS2-D	FS2-AWB	FL-DB
RFID	RF Option	125kHz EM & 13.56MHz MIFARE, MIFARE Plus, DESFire/EV1, FeliCa	125kHz EM, HID Prox & 13.56MHz MIFARE, MIFARE Plus, DESFire/EV1, FeliCa, iCLASS SE/SR/Seos	125kHz EM & 13.56MHz MIFARE, MIFARE Plus, DESFire/EV1, FeliCa
	Mobile Card	NFC	NFC, BLE	NFC, BLE
Protection	Ingress Protection	Not supported	Not supported	Not supported
	Vandal Proof	Not supported	Not supported	Not supported
Face	Template	SUPREMA	SUPREMA	SUPREMA
	Extractor / Matcher	SUPREMA	SUPREMA	SUPREMA
	Live Face Detection	Supported	Supported	Supported
Capacity	Users (1:1) * Based on one face enrollment per user	30,000	30,000	30,000
	Users (1:N) * Based on one face enrollment per user	3,000	3,000	3,000
	Max. Face Enrollment per User	5	5	5
	Text Log	50,00,000	50,00,000	50,00,000
	Image Log	50,000	50,000	Not supported
HW	CPU	1.4 GHz Quad Core	1.4 GHz Quad Core	1.2GHz Quad Core
	Memory	8GB Flash + 1GB RAM	8GB Flash + 1GB RAM	8GB Flash + 1GB RAM
	LCD Type	4” color TFT LCD	4” color TFT LCD	2” color TFT LCD
	LCD Resolution	800 x 480 pixels	800 x 480 pixels	320x240 pixels
	Sound	24 bit Voice DSP (echo cancellation)	24 bit Voice DSP (echo cancellation)	24 bit Voice DSP
	Operating Temperature	-20°C ~ 50°C	-20°C ~ 50°C	-20°C ~ 50°C
	Storage Temperature	-40°C ~ 70°C	-40°C ~ 70°C	-40°C ~ 70°C
	Operating Humudity	0% ~ 80%, non-condensing	0% ~ 80%, non-condensing	0% ~ 80%, non-condensing
	Storage Humidity	0% ~ 90%, non-condensing	0% ~ 90%, non-condensing	0% ~ 90%, non-condensing
	Weight	Device: 548g Bracket: 74g (Including washer and bolt)	Device: 548g Bracket: 74g (Including washer and bolt)	Device: 296 g Bracket: 41 g (Including washer and bolt)
	Dimension (WxHxD, mm)	141 x 164 x 125	141 x 164 x 125	80 x 160.3 x 71.8
	Tamper	Supported	Supported	Supported
Interface	Wi-Fi	Not supported	Built-in, IEEE 802.11 b/g	Not supported
	Ethernet	10/100/1000 Mbps, auto MDI/MDI-X	10/100/1000 Mbps, auto MDI/MDI-X	10/100 Mbps, auto MDI/MDI-X
	RS-485	1ch Host or Slave (Selectable)	1ch Host or Slave (Selectable)	1ch Host or Slave (Selectable)
	Wiegand	1ch Input, 1ch Output	1ch Input, 1ch Output	1ch Input or Output (Selectable)
	TTL Input	2ch Inputs	2ch Inputs	2ch Inputs
	Relay	1 Relay	1 Relay	1 Relay
	USB	USB 2.0 (Host)	USB 2.0 (Host)	USB 2.0 (Host)
	SD Card	Not supported	Not supported	Not supported
	PoE	Not supported	Not supported	Not supported
	Intercom	Supported	Supported	Not supported
Electrical	Power	Voltage: DC 24 V Current: Max. 2.5 A	Voltage: DC 24 V Current: Max. 2.5 A	Voltage: DC 24 V Current: Max. 2.5 A
Platform	BioStar 2	Supported	Supported	Supported