Company News

iProov Granted US Patent to Check Authenticity of Holograms

iProov, provider of online biometric face authentication, has announced the publication of its newly granted iProov 9th US patent, which combats identity fraud of digitally or physically altered and forged US driving licences and government ID cards.

This extension of iProov’s flagship technology, Genuine Presence Assurance, focuses solely on the surface of the document and detects tampering with the photo and hologram. Complementary to technology other organisations have in the reading, analysis and fraud detection of documents, iProov plans to offer this new capability to its document and ID verification customers and partners.

‘Presenting government-issued ID at home via a personal device is a huge convenience for consumers.’ said Andrew Bud, iProov CEO. ‘However, it’s vital to confirm the document is genuine. This new technology will save the user awkwardly moving a licence or ID around in front of a camera, while providing a safer, faster and cheaper alternative to time-consuming video calls with agents. Our unique technology relies upon simple, inclusive movement that harnesses a distinctive combination of distance and light.’

A user can verify a document using any device that is equipped with a camera and light (such as a mobile phone). A box appears on the screen, prompting the user to intuitively move their device to align the document into the outline, thereby changing the distance from the document. It will not be necessary to read complex instructions, maximizing inclusivity and usability. Imagery of the document is captured during the movement and analysed to determine a likelihood that it includes indications of genuineness, such as a correct hologram, an original photograph and no surface alterations.

In development for three-and-a-half years, iProov’s new patented technology was first developed in a research project partly funded by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.

Meta Materials Joins LaSAR Alliance for Augmented Reality Wearable Devices

Meta, who completed the acquisition of Nanotech Security Corp in October 2021, has announced that it has joined the Laser Scanning for Augmented Reality (LaSAR) Alliance, a member programme of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Industry Standards and Technology Organization. IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

The LaSAR Alliance (lasaralliance.org) was established to create an ecosystem of likeminded companies and organisations to foster and encourage the development and promotion of technologies, components, devices, techniques and solutions to enable the efficient design and manufacture of augmented reality wearable devices, including smart glasses and headmounted displays.

‘We are excited about the opportunity to more closely collaborate with the industry leading members of the LaSAR Alliance and anticipate that our combined development efforts and knowledge sharing will accelerate the delivery of ARfusion™, META’s proprietary free space holographic optical element and laser beam scanning ophthalmic solution, to the AR industry,’ said Darren Ihmels, Vice President Ophthalmic Business Development at Meta Materials.

META’s ARfusion technology combines precision cast lens fabrication tools with functional metamaterials and volume holograms, to provide AR wearable developers with a platform for seamlessly integrating smart technologies into thin lightweight prescription glasses.

To learn more visit: https://bit.ly/3KtgkEY. 

New Dimension Productions Produces New Series of Hologram Concerts

Hologram entertainment production agency New Dimension Productions (NDP) and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment are launching Dubai Hologram Universe, twice weekly, at the Al Habtoor City Theatre, Dubai.

The first show will bring Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez back to life in hologram format, as his projection performs on stage accompanied by live performers and musicians. Hasan M Hina, founder and executive producer and director of NDP, said the move ‘marks the first step to achieving our long-term strategy to position Dubai as the capital of hologram entertainment.’

Hina is also on record as saying, ‘It’s going to help us break boundaries in that we are bringing people from the past to people in the present to create new visions for the future.’

In writing about another hologram project conducted in memory of His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, NDP wrote that the 3D technology used to recreate the late Sheikh Zayed’s 3D facial textures, animation and overall demeanour took their team of experts over 400 hours to perfect the holographic experience.

Holographic NFT Display Device

A non-fungible token (NFT) is an immutable unique digital identifier that, at least in principle, cannot be copied, altered, substituted, or subdivided. An NFT is recorded in a blockchain, and is used to certify authenticity and ownership of a digital asset and the rights relating to it.

It is a purely digital assertion of ownership and as such is virtual and may not have any physical representation. NFTs are already popular in the buying and selling of digital art but the very nature of their virtual existence presents a problem… how do you hang them on a wall to enjoy them and show them to others?

To address this issue, designer Chenkai Zhang has come up with a novel display device that allows NFT owners to upload their digital purchases from their phones and display them in a device called ‘Holocube’.

Holocube (© Starslab Chenkai Zhang).

Designed with minimalism in mind, the transparent glass in the middle of the Holocube automatically rises upon activation. LEDs in the eight corners light up to project an image of the digital artwork of which the NFT asserts ownership.

NFTs are not without their critics, particularly for their impact on the environment, making at least the current implementation controversial from a sustainability perspective.