C-Gate unveils passenger face recognition system

Right: C-Gate system automatically checks each passenger's face to ensure the person who checked-in is also the same person who boards the plane

Israel-based C-True Imaging has unveiled its new C-Gate boarding pass authentication solution, which uses face recognition technology to ensure that ticketed passengers are allowed to board only their proper flight.

C-Gate offers a potential solution for airlines, which are required under IATA regulations, to ensure that any passenger who boards a plane is identical to the person who checked in for the flight.

C-True claims its C-Gate solution enables fast, non intrusive, biometric enrollment of the passenger face image at the check-in counter and automatic face verification of the passenger identity at the boarding gate. It integrates flight information and facial features onto one operational record to ensure boarding pass authentication.

The system is designed to integrate smoothly into ground operations at an airport without any need to change current boarding pass vouchers or check-in procedures.

When a passenger obtains a boarding pass or acquires an e-Ticket, C-Gate captures the passenger’s face, generates a template and attaches it to the scanned Bar-Coded Boarding Passes (BCBP), as specified by IATA 792 based on 2D barcodes (PDF417). Later, when the passenger approached the gate for boarding, C-Gate captures another image of the passenger and checks for a match with the passenger’s face template previously acquired in the database.

If a match is found, the system enables boarding and logs the transaction. If C-gate doesn’t recognize the passenger, access is denied. Denied passengers’ images are captured and stored in a database, and an activity log is generated for further investigations.

While C-Gate’s prime focus is on security, C-True claims it could also be used ina number of other airport applications, including automated duty free entrance verification checks, VIP’s and frequent travelers’ lounges entrance monitoring, and face images in air crew’s passenger’s lists.
 

5 January 2009