A Tsinghua-developed biometric recognition system, designed to bolster traditional public security identification measures, was highly commended in an appraisal by the Ministry of Education on June 22. 

The TH-ID multimode biometric recognition/verification system was created by a team of five students led by Professor Ding Xiaoqing of the Electronic Engineering department. The group engaged in the research of biometrics in 2000, focusing on face recognition/verification, handwriting verification, signature verification, iris recognition/verification and multimode biometric recognition/verification.

Biometrics is a kind of automated method of recognizing or verifying a person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristics, such as facial features, fingerprints, iris, palm prints, handwriting, and speech. Besides enhancing security, biometric systems also enhance user convenience by alleviating the need to design and remember passwords.

Professor Ding said the research team first studied face recognition/verification, “since the face is the most friendly physiological feature and is easy to be identified.” Then they studied handwriting and signature verification, as these are widely used and legally recognized means of ID. 

The researchers selected the iris as a representative ID feature “because of the richness, uniqueness, and immutability of iris texture,” Professor Ding said.