Guide to Facial Recognition Access Control Systems

Businesses use access control systems to identify individuals and grant access to specific locations, such as warehouses, factories, and offices. These systems are often powered by edge devices that connect and communicate with a wider network, making them a valuable tool for modern facial recognition access control usage. With the help of this technology, employees can gain access to their workplaces with facial recognition through high-powered cameras — a more convenient, efficient, and touch-free method than swiping a badge, entering a PIN, or scanning fingerprints.

FaceMe^® facial recognition uses Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) to provide your business with the most secure and precise access control systems. It works across industries with a high processing power that allows it to recognize employees’ faces and remember facial details quickly. In this article, we share key considerations for adopting facial recognition in access control systems and will guide you through choosing a solution that fits your business’ needs.

What is Facial Recognition Access Control?

Facial recognition access control uses biometrically verified identity checks to determine who can enter the premises, access lockers and storage areas, and operate specialized equipment. This access control technology relies on comparing the unique characteristics of the human face for fast, accurate identity verification.

Beneath the surface, the technology uses artificial intelligence and deep learning to recognize and remember individuals. As many areas of business become more automated, facial recognition offers this option for access control to allow employees and business owners to protect every part of their facilities in a cohesive network.

How does Facial Recognition Access Control Work?

Access control covers a spectrum of security use cases, such as physical access, health monitoring, on-site safety, and tracking individuals during an emergency. With facial recognition, you get more accurate information and communication about who enters various areas of your business or facility while making operations more efficient.

These systems use complex AI technology and machine learning while making access control easier for everyone. They follow three main steps to protect the physical security of a facility or restricted area from unauthorized access.

Step 1. Identification

First, facial recognition access control solutions identify the presence of an individual in front of the camera. Proper implementation of an access control system makes it possible to determine the identity of anyone who enters the building or restricted areas. It can also detect the presence of individuals in a facility and monitor their movement throughout the location.

Step 2. Authentication

Once the access control system identifies the presence of an individual, it must authenticate the person’s identity. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is the simplest and most effective way to ensure users are who they say they are.

Step 3. Authorization

After an individual’s identity has been successfully authenticated, access control systems will grant access to the facility or restricted area based on predefined criteria. If the system detects these criteria have been met, it communicates to the network to allow the individual the appropriate access.

What are the Benefits of Facial Recognition Access Control Systems?

Traditional access control systems typically use key cards or PINs to identify users and grant access, but these methods carry more risks. People can lose their key cards or have them stolen, and they may leak their PIN to someone not authorized to access the area. Now, biometric technologies, such as fingerprints, iris recognition, and facial recognition, have become mainstream in visitor management and access control systems.

However, using fingerprints and iris recognition increases visitor surface contact. Facial recognition doesn’t, making it ideal for building a touchless access control system that maintains workplace health and safety.

1. User convenience

Your face is your ID, and you always have it with you. Facial recognition offers convenience in that individuals no longer need to carry a key card or remember a PIN.

2. Better security and fewer risks

Facial recognition prevents unauthorized access by remembering and processing facial patterns and matching them with users registered in its system. It can also recognize deepfakes and other fraudulent attempts to gain access, as well as eliminate the risk of lost or stolen keys and shared PINs.

3. Contactless access

Facial recognition creates a touchless access control system. It keeps your facility cleaner than using cards, PINs, fingerprints, or even iris scanning, and it reduces the spread of germs. It can even recognize faces with a high level of accuracy when mask-wearing is required.

What Devices are Used for Facial Recognition Access Control?

Facial recognition access control systems range from everyday smart devices, like your smartphone or tablet, to low-power edge and AIoT devices. They include laptops, industrial PCs, and kiosks and can be as high powered as GPU-accelerated servers with large arrays of 2D and 3D connected cameras.

Your chosen solution will be compatible with the scale of your business and the number of people who pass through the access areas every day. A small business with a handful of employees may only need a lower-end, repurposed smart device. These devices have a built-in camera that can connect to the internet to open a web browser interface. On the other hand, for larger businesses that want to implement AI-based facial recognition access control at busy entrances and exits, faster GPU-accelerated hardware with high-quality 2D or 3D cameras and good lighting will work better.

What Facial Recognition Features are Essential for Access Control?

While facial recognition technology has several features that can enhance its functionality, there are a few you won’t want to do without. Luckily, all of them are available for customers who choose to use FaceMe^®.

1. Outstanding Accuracy

Top-quality facial recognition must be able to identify and verify people correctly. FaceMe^®’s facial recognition engine is among the most accurate in the industry, with 99.83% accuracy in NIST Face Recognition Technology Evaluation (FRTE) 1:1 and 1:N.

2. Mask Support

Personnel often wear masks for health, safety, or hygienic reasons, and it can present a risk to remove them for facial recognition access control systems. Successful access control systems need to implement high-accuracy facial recognition technology for employees wearing masks. FaceMe® continues to work even when people wear masks or other protective gear, with over 98.21% accuracy.

3. Spoofing Prevention/Liveness Detection

Liveness detection, or anti-spoofing, is designed to secure restricted items and their containers, such as medicine cabinets. Without liveness detection, unauthorized individuals can more easily trick facial recognition access control systems and gain access to secure areas by using photos or videos of authorized individuals. Liveness detection must be certified by a third party to ensure impartiality.

FaceMe^®’s anti-spoofing detects impersonation and substitution attempts, such as deepfakes, videos altered by AI to appear as someone else, and other types of biometric fraud. It’s certified by iBeta, an internationally recognized, independent, third-party testing and quality assurance organization.

4. Cross-Platform Optimization

In developing access control systems, companies implement native, hybrid, and cross-platform approaches. Integrating facial recognition requires a reliable solution compatible with various platforms.

FaceMe^® is a cross-platform facial recognition engine ideal for custom scenarios and uses cases where customers need to tailor algorithms to their infrastructure. It is optimized for various hardware configurations, from high-end workstations to low-power chipsets typically used in IoT devices. It is also compatible with Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems.

Access Control Use Cases with Essential Facial Recognition Features

How Do I Choose the Right Facial Recognition Solution for Access Control?

To answer this question, you’ll need to consider your company’s needs and your role within it. If you’re a developer looking to build a system that integrates software with existing hardware, then the FaceMe^® SDK is the best choice. However, end users and system integrators will want a ready-to-go solution such as FaceMe^® Security.

FaceMe^® SDK – The Developers’ Choice for Integrating Access Control Systems with Facial Recognition

The FaceMe^® SDK is the best solution for IoT developers to integrate facial recognition functionality in access control hardware, such as smart doors, check-in clocks, or kiosks. Developers of access control devices looking to incorporate facial recognition in existing hardware should first read the ultimate guide to deploying facial recognition at the edge.

We also recommend that you check the FaceMe^® SDK’s system requirements.

FaceMe^® Security: A Turnkey Access Control Software System with Facial Recognition

For system integrators and corporate IT decision-makers, FaceMe^® Security offers a plug-and-play solution with facial recognition functionality. FaceMe^® Security is a turnkey, value-added facial recognition solution that integrates with your existing PCs, workstations, servers, video management systems, IP camera surveillance systems, and door access systems.

It can perform identity verification, mask detection, and real-time monitoring and sends you alerts when a camera captures a block-listed or unauthorized person. You can also expand FaceMe® Security’s capabilities with the check-in add-on that connects to your visitor management system and the VMR add-on that handles surveillance when you do not have a VMS available.

FaceMe^®: Smart Access Control System for Your Business

As the most secure and practical form of authentication available today, facial recognition elevates the security of any access control system. Thanks to the high accuracy and flexibility of FaceMe®, you can easily integrate facial recognition into existing systems or install it as a standalone solution for your business. With FaceMe® for access control, managers don’t have to worry about lost or stolen ID cards or credentials, inaccurate fingerprint scanners, or systems being spoofed with photos, videos, or deepfakes of authorized individuals. You can read more on why leading industries are choosing FaceMe^® as their top facial recognition solution.

FAQ