Unlocking PC with Penpower’s FaceMetrix

Forget about the lengthy passwords for PC logon. Penpower Technology Ltd. has recently launched the FaceMetrix Logon, a software for PC users to utilize facial recognition to access the computers.

Users just need to take a look at the webcam, and the computer will recognize its master showing up and unlocks itself immediately, said the Taiwan-based company.

For a start, users have to get a USB PC camera with a minimum resolution of 380,000 pixels ready. The computers must be equipped with Intel Pentium III or above, and have a minimum of 128 MB RAM.

To enroll, they need to rotate the face in front of the camera and 20 facial prints will be collected for building facial models. When users log on, they need not to enter a username or passwords, but to face the camera and the computer will extract facial characteristics from the viewing area and find a match. The search will run throughout all enrollees in the database and look for a match in less than one second.

According to William Law, sales engineer of Penpower’s solution integration department, the FaceMetrix Logon is capable of acting as a surveillance software as well. It will automatically take photos of those unauthorized attempting to access the PCs in the viewing area, and record the time. This will allow follow-up examination and tighten the data security.

Compared to the computers which embed fingerprint recognition to replace passwords, facial recognition offers the benefits of non-direct physical contact, thus reducing the chances of ruining the equipment, he added.

“Facial recognition has mainly been used for access control in the past. We see a trend of this biometrics application becoming more involved with people’s daily life this year,” he claimed. As such, the company aims to boost the adoption of facial recognition in the consumer segment by introducing the FaceMetrix Logon.

[Penpower/Taiwan]
E-mail: sales@penpower.net