The biometric unlocking function of 3C equipment has developed so far, and the ways can be said to be diverse. From the very beginning, fingerprint unlocking, facial recognition, palm print unlocking, and even those who have tried voiceprint recognition. Iris recognition is actually an old member of this field, and we have seen its appearance in many science fiction movies. But in real life, its application is very rare.
Recently, Apple's new headset Vision Pro has picked up iris unlocking technology again, called Optic ID. In addition to Apple, mobile phone manufacturers such as Samsung actually tried to use iris unlocking technology earlier, but in the end, fingerprint and face unlocking became the mainstream. There are technical reasons for this, and it can also be said to be the result of market choices.
In Samsung, Nokia and other early models that have adopted iris recognition technology, its recognition efficiency and recognition accuracy are somewhat unsatisfactory. Moreover, the iris recognition technology is placed on the mobile phone, which itself has great restrictions on the use habits. If you want the iris to unlock, you need to point the sensor in the direction of the eye. Once the height is deviated, the unlocking speed and recognition accuracy will be greatly reduced, and it is common for the recognition to be unrecognized.
On the Vision Pro, there are two cameras inside that are facing the pupil, as well as four infrared sensors. Through these sensing devices, the user's iris is scanned. Compared with traditional iris technology, Vision Pro's Optic ID recognition speed is faster, and it also has the same learning function as Face ID, which can adapt to more situations. In addition, Optic ID also supports single-eye unlocking, so you don't have to collect iris information from both eyes.
The reason why Vision Pro uses iris unlocking is closely related to its own eye-wearing equipment. Relative to the phone, it is positioned at eye level, ensuring that the sensor is aimed at the eye.
Biometrics are always advancing, and the features that we have overlooked may be the same as iris unlocking, but they haven't met the right device. With the update and iteration of digital devices, we may see more related technologies in the future.