Iris recognition technology proves identities

Iris recognition might play a role in the battle against child trafficking in China in the near future, as a pilot biometric iris recognition database is to be set up in Central China's Wuhan city, capital of Hubei province.

The program, proposed by iris recognition technology company EyeSmart, will establish 100 data collection spots in the city. Parents can take their children to the spots to have their iris scanned. If a child who is registered on the database goes missing and is found, an iris scan will be able to quickly determine his or her identity, much faster than DNA identification.

"New scanning technology does not require the user to stand up close to the machine. A simple glance at the machine, even from some distance, will suffice and it can be done in a second," said Wang Xiaopeng, founder of EyeSmart.