Airport iris scanners scrapped at Manchester and Birmingham

17 February 2012

Multi-million pound biometric security devices have been scrapped at two airports, and the long term future of the technology is under review by the UK Border Agency, it has emerged.

According to reports, the iris scanning devices were removed from Manchester and Birmingham airports, after technical difficulties had frustrated passengers and the devices failed to meet objectives, which included cutting waiting times.

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency reportedly said the long term future of iris scanning technology was being reviewed.

"With electronic passport gates now operating at 15 of the country's busiest airport terminals and available to millions of biometric passport holders, iris is just one of the options for travellers to securely enter the UK," the spokesman said.

COMMENTS

Interesting how iris scanning works on the 'scientific' premise that your eyes never change, but yet, they have to re-take images every few years..? Well, I kinda know why..

I knew that iris biometrics was doomed from the beginning because there are way too many complex issues including changes in the eye through puberty and age including pupillary size or pupil deformation changes that can greatly affect the iris structure trabeculae. There also known changes in the collarette resulting from trauma weather psychological or physical. Pigment changes in iris are common at birth, puberty and age associated, eg. pancreatic, liver, etc.

What mainly bothered me most about using the human eye on security technology is that your eyes can also show genetic flaws in connective tissue and yet there were over 350,000 sheeple in the U.K. willing to give the government\corporations such personal and sensitive information.

P.S. To prove a point, SUN staff, please inform individual who's eye was included in this article, that an inherent thyroid weakness is more likely the contributing to any current cardiac insufficiencies. That is what I see in this eye at first glance..

Secondary in this eye, splenic triad(associated immune weakness in spleen), left kidney weakness cannot be ruled out since our bodies organs/glands/nervous system all work in conjunction..

The eyes will play an important role in future diagnostics, not big brother interests and glad to see this technology finally showed its true colors.

This is what I consider useful in iris biometrics using the same eye in this article: : http://iridology-software.com/downloads/chart_Thyroid.jpg

Would love to hear back from whoever's eye was included in this article! ;)
daprof - world

Let's not forget the system was originally introduced in 2004, initially as a pilot. At this time, such use of Iris technology was fairly innovative. That the footprint of the pilot was gradually extended and became a permanent system is indicative that the system was fairly well received. The fact that over 380,000 people have voluntarily enrolled (myself included) makes it difficult to argue that the system is derided.

In my opinion, the turning off of the system at these two locations is more in line with a planned phasing out of this particular solution.
Allevate - London