This collaborative project with St Lawrence U (05-20990, Schuckers), supporting research in biometric authentication for identity assurance, complements ongoing work as part of an NSF-ITR grant that is cooperatively funded by the US Department of Homeland Security. The research develops new biometric authentication technologies and involves five tasks: -Improvement of facial recognition that requires a 3D digitizer, -Investigation of large-scale distributed systems that requires powerful servers and PCs; -Simulation of matching performance for system scaling that requires powerful computers; -Investigation of saccades as biometrics that requires Dual-Image eye-trackers; and -Exploration of multi-spectral iris imaging that requires a multi-spectral camera. The work, developing new techniques for distributed biometric systems as well as performing experiments with scaling up large biometric databases, aims at improving the acceptance of biometrics for trusted and ubiquitous computing. By rendering a decision about a user's identity from physiological measurements made on their "image," biometric authentication systems uniquely provide the means for binding an individual's presence with their cyber action so that intent can be firmly established. Hence, the system allows the physical association of a person to the identification data in a database to enhance security protection or abuse/misuse of personal data.
Broader Impact: A strong biometric curriculum already in place will be expanded, thus preparing many in areas serviced by Homeland Security. As these trusted systems multiply, interdisciplinary education for engineers is better serviced. The work addresses increasingly important problems for homeland security.
