Intel Corp. today announced new facial recognition hardware and software that can be used in retail stores to facilitate payments or other settings to provide access to restricted areas.

Introduced in 2014, Intel’s RealSense 3D cameras were originally designed for robots and other machines. They combine depth and tracking technologies to give drones, robots and other machines a way to scan their environment and navigate without the need for GPS.

Intel said today the new RealSense ID system makes the core RealSense camera technology ideal for use in retail and secure access control scenarios. It works by combining the active depth sensor and tracking system with a neural network that’s designed to perform facial authentication for things such as point-of-sale systems, ATMs and kiosks. It could also be used by smart doors, Intel said.

One advantage of the system is that it’s “privacy driven and purpose-built for user protection,” Intel said, with all data being processed and encrypted locally.

RealSense ID also comes with anti-spoofing technology that thwarts any attempt to trick the camera by using a photograph of someone’s face, videos or masks. Intel reckons it has a one-in-1 million false acceptance rate. That’s similar to Apple Inc., which claims the odds of someone unlocking another person’s iPhone using Face ID are about one in a million.

“The solution is also only activated through user awareness and will not authenticate unless prompted by a pre-registered user,” said Intel. “As with all Intel technology, we are working to ensure the ethical application of RealSense and the protection of human rights.”

Intel said the RealSense ID system will launch in the first quarter.

Image: Intel