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| For Moorestown company, the eyes are the windows to security Burlington County Times 11/27/02: Christopher Bishop Original Link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/burlingtoncountytimes/news/news/41765388.htm MOORESTOWN - A Moorestown company is providing an experimental security system that state officials said is the first-ever application of iris-identification technology in a New Jersey public school. Iridian Technologies' iris-identification system will be employed in a study in the three schools in Plumsted Township, Ocean County, said Frank Fitzsimmons, chief operating officer for Iridian. The identification system already has been installed in some airports and in other sectors. "Biometrics in general are starting to pick up steam," Fitzsimmons said. "We think we will do really well in large public applications that require a lot of accuracy." Biometrics refers to the emerging field devoted to identifying people by using biological traits such as irises and fingerprints. The Plumsted study is funded by a $293,360 U.S. Department of Justice grant, Iridian spokeswoman Lina Page said. The study is scheduled to start Feb. 3 after the software is installed in the three school buildings, said Michael Dean, technology coordinator for the Plumsted Township School District. Dean said the iris technology was "unique." "My understanding is if you need a single mode to identify someone, this is the most accurate way," he said. The iris technology works like a fingerprint and relies on computer-based processing of iris patterns to identify a person. Michael Yaple, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association, said it was the first use of such a technology in a public school in the Garden State. "Schools are using ID swipe cards (and) cameras, but eye scan is so cutting edge," Yaple said. Dean said the program was voluntary and will take place during school hours. "The study will involve parents and staff, not kids," he said. Dean explained that three iris-scanning cameras would be posted at each school, where those adults who have had an iris scan would submit their eye to a camera that would match the iris to a database and enable entry. The Plumsted district consists of an elementary, middle and high school. The study will be conducted by 21st Century Solutions, a Maryland-based company. At the end of the study, the federal Justice Department will review the company's report to determine the effectiveness of iris technology, officials said. "We're pretty much an open school," Dean said. "That will change after January. The front doors will be locked. Unless you're a participant in the (iris-scan) program, you have to be buzzed in." Students will report to school as usual, and the study will only focus on security during school hours. ------------------------------- PRISON PLANET.com |