How Xeric MSP can be applied in Security applications

2. Xeric Multimodal Surveillance Platform provides customer with unparallel performance in realtime operations, post investigation
and scalability to suit for various scenarios. Xeric is able to integrate with various sensors and analytics, making it an ideal platform
that works for your needs. Xeric enable the authority to build border security system modularly, determine the impact, adjust
operational flow and expand capabilities incrementally. Xeric are being classified under category of Stand-off Biometric, where
we are seeing more system being used in such configuration.
Stand-off Biometric is solution that provide capabilities to operate at further than usual distance between subject and sensor with
less-constrained subject behaviour. While biometric surveillance systems can be considered as a stand-off biometric system, the
two terms are not synonymous. Some standoff systems call for cooperative subjects since these will always produce improved
performance metrics. In actual field application, non-cooperative subjects are what we usually saw. Identification of cooperative
subjects in stand-off applications is relevant in various public safety applications. This ranges from employee access control to
visitor identification and positive and/or negative identification of travellers at an airport environment.
The stand-off aspect of field study remained central to the concept of operations for several reasons:
1. Distance between operator and imaging unit may be relevant to operator safety.
2. Covert operations.
3. Queuing and process flow design.
4. Usage of multimodal sensors to perform additional security checks while biometric identification is taking place.
As compared to any usual stand-off biometric, Xeric is a solution-based platform that have wide application potential. Application
ranges from fixed point installation such as immigration checkpoint to mobile application which uses smart phone. This
application note aims to provide few cases which Xeric could support your operational needs.
Immigration Checkpoint
One of the most widely used application for facial recognition is at immigration checkpoint. It is a challenging task for officer to
remember faces of wanted people while performing their duties in such a high traffic flow environment. Xeric uses fixed point box
camera with varifocal lens to capture and index faces into its database. While faces are being indexed, they are being stored and
searchable in the future for post investigation. Authority just need to use an image of someone who they like to search and Xeric
will be able to search across the entire database and present those similar faces. In an immigration checkpoint environment, the
most important aspect is to perform realtime alerting for authority to take immediate action.
There are various challenges being faced in this specific application. We are looking at high human traffic flow, huge amount of
watchlist database, large number of cameras, availability of legacy facial database. How can Xeric help to tackle all these matters?
1. High Human Traffic Flow and Huge Amount of Watchlist Database
Xeric is able to search across a million records per second based on a single core. This enable the authority to take
action while subject is still within their facility shall this be a wanted person. Xeric is able to work with potentially
tens of millions of database and with proper hardware configuration to achieve high response speed.
It is also important for instant watchlist update to be make available. There could be situation where authority is
looking for people who committed criminal acts and attempting to leave the country immediately. Xeric houses its
database in a central cloud-based architecture to enable secured single point access for instant update and quick
retrieval.
Application Notes - Security Page 1

3. 2. Large Number of Cameras
We could be seeing tens of cameras to hundreds of cameras in a single location. Based on conventional system
architecture, total cost of ownership is potentially high. Apart from hardware and software cost, we must also look
into cooling, electricity, maintenance and potential point of failure.
Xeric works differently by placing much lighter server as Front End Server and hzving server(s) that does the heavy
lifting at the backend. There is no limit to the number of cameras that Xeric is able to connect as long as hardware
are being scaled properly. Some facilities could be having upgrade and having existing IP cameras, Xeric could
potentially use them if they meet the minimum requirement.
If authority is able to enforce process to compliment system, Xeric can even use a HD webcam to achieve similar
result. In this configuration, authority benefitted from using COTS product with can be replace easily and at more
affordable cost.
3. Availability of Legacy Facial Database
Almost all mugshot and passport images stored by law enforcement are 2D images. In order to replace this to any
new template format is a very tedious task. Xeric bridges this gap in using existing 2D images, converted it to
wireframe and pose correct it to frontal image. This increases accuracy of engine by comparing frontal enrolled
image against frontal probe image.
Immigration Check Post
Unlike Singapore, many countries could be having hundreds or even thousands of kilometre of border shared with neighbouring
countries. Considering many of these could be located in mountainous area, an immigration check post could be used instead of
a checkpoint. In this scenario, consideration will be totally different as compared to a checkpoint.
Challenges include database security, network connection and implementation effort. The entire solution need to be cost
effective and time efficient, especially during installation.
1. Database Security
Physical security of computer equipment, which houses the database, pose one huge challenge and security risk.
Database located in this server could be compromised if someone stole this server from check post.
While Xeric is able to run everything locally on the server, Xeric is setup to house its watchlist database remotely.
Front End Server located at remote location perform only extraction of facial image and sending this image back
to Xeric Database & Process Server (XPro Server) for processing. Watchlist database do not physically located at
remote server and this architecture safeguard authority’s information. If this server is being stolen, it contains only
image extraction algorithm and does not point to any specific person who authority is interested in.
2. Network Connection
Another concern is connectivity of remote server to XPro server at HQ and information security of information on
transit. Xeric is able to work with VPN on 3G and internet connection. For location with intranet connectivity, Xeric
works with authority’s network policy to send information back to XPro server.
In conventional system, video might be stream back for processing and viewing. This resulted in either heavy
bandwidth usage or poor video quality to lighten load on bandwidth. What Xeric does is to extract 5 images from
each person and sending approximately 50kb of information per person for indexing and matching. Xeric do not
required video storage but we understand the need to view video clips of event instances. Thus Xeric uses the
concept of GIF to enable authority to view moving image without heavy burden on bandwidth.
Application Notes - Security Page 2

4. 3. Implementation Effort
During project implementation, time spend travelling to each remote check post could be lengthy and resulted in
much longer project duration. Condition at site could varies significantly and it is difficult gathering and working
out cabling and installation solution.
Xeric uses portable equipment, where possible, to reduce significantly the time taken to deploy it at remote
location. Below are some changes that Xeric does to support such installation:
• Instead of full server, Xeric uses laptop that is portable with keyboard and mouse integrated. Laptop has its
own power to buffer unstable power supply.
• Instead of IP Camera, Xeric uses HD webcam to provide flexibility and quick installation. It is connected
directly to USB port of laptop which provide information transfer and power.
• Instead of fixed camera LPR, Xeric uses android mobile phone to capture image and send back to server to
process LPR information. This reduces installation time, cabling and potential excavation cost for each
location.
Xeric is a solution that aims to support authority not only on their specific needs but to consider overall deployability and total
cost of ownership.
Mobile Patrol
When law enforcement officers are moving around, there could be situations which they need to verify a person’s identity.
Traditionally, what they could have done is to ask for one’s identification document and verify that they are the correct person.
However, with improvement in technology and readily available of technology to general public, one can also fake their
identification document.
Xeric enable law enforcement officer to run an application on their mobile device and capture a suspect’s facial image using their
mobile phone camera. Facial image of the suspect will be send back to XPro Server where their identity will be search across
databases. Database could be arranged in order or priority, where wanted person comes first follow by target of interest and
normal citizen.
A list of result will be provided to law enforcement officer, based on similarity score, to enable law enforcement officer to correct
identify a person. Geo-location as well as other information collected by law enforcement officer can also be tagged to this
person for record. Other enhancement could potentially be explore using mobile fingerprint scanner to offer multimodal mobile
surveillance.
Xeric can also be configure to perform facial alert and indexing during national event where people may gather at a venue during
this period. It might not be viable for authority to provide permanent fixed camera and server at this location, where it tends to
be underutilised. This portable system will be housed in a portable enclosure, such as pelican case, to be bought around. Due to
potential lack of power, this enclosure will be able to provide continuous operation for approximately 4~5 hours, depending on
configuration and requirement.
In terms of mobility, Xeric can also be deployed in a convert operation to support identification of unknown subject using
wearable or conceal camera. Information can be stored and process when the person carrying this system is back. It is also
possible to configure for stream to be send back wirelessly for realtime matching.
Application Notes - Security Page 3

5. Offline Database
In some cases, law enforcement authority might require ability to search through large amount of information. We are looking at
tens or hundreds of millions of record such as national identity. Xeric is able to configure our platform based on authority’s
requirement depending on database size and speed which they expect to have the result.
There could be someone who law enforcement spotted at a particular location or in certain public event and they do not want to
approach this person. This could be for criminal investigation or this person could lead them to a group or cell which they want
to apprehend.
Law enforcement could capture this person’s face from afar and using this image to search through large amount of database,
attempt to get positive identity of this person. There are many challenges such as target is generally non-cooperative and
movement of both target and capturing sensor. In many cases, this is based on opportunity basis.
Conclusion
Such stand-off biometric solution differ from biometric systems used in traditional application such as close-interaction access
control. The following characteristics are most often associated with stand-off biometric applications.
• Stand-off biometric applications are predicated on identification of individuals, rather than verification of their
identity – the subject does not claim an identity, and the system either returns an ID or an unknown result. In
addition to being an exponentially more difficult matching problem than verification, by removing the identity
claim, identification systems remove the element of culpability associated with a false identity claim
• Stand-off biometric applications require limited subject’s cooperation, to non-cooperative subject in certain
applications. Non-cooperation means that the subject is neither cooperative nor uncooperative - they behave as
if the device were not present. This may apply to subject orientation, movement, and engagement with the device.
• Stand-off biometric systems eliminate complex device-subject interactions such as those that require the subject
to manually align themselves with devices, find their eyes in mirrors or visual overlays, or position themselves within
a limited capture volume. The current study does not consider uncooperative subjects – those who deliberately
attempt to evade, undermine, or interfere with biometric acquisition.
• Stand-off biometric applications may entail covert operation, in which systems are positioned such that the
subject cannot see the capture device.
• Stand-off biometric applications may be deployed in conjunction with derogatory watch lists, where the costs
associated with false negative identifications (e.g. potential security breach) are significantly higher than costs
associated with false positive identification (e.g. additional effort for security staff)
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• Stand-off biometric applications may be deployed in mobile wearable environments.
With the above example and illustrations, you can see that Xeric is very flexible and able to adapt to various operational needs of
law enforcement. One of the most distinctive differences that Xeric brings to law enforcement is that it is a solution that can
accommodate their process instead of a product that one needs to get used to. Learning curve in deploying Xeric is relatively low
as it tends not to interfere in their daily routine but to be an enabler to support their daily operation.
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Application Notes - Security Page 4
Sunny Tan | MSc, MCiiSCM, CCSMP
https://sg.linkedin.com/in/sunnytan30
May 2016

6. International Trade & Technologies Korea, Inc.
2nd Floor, Goryeo Building
48 Nonhyeon-Dong, Gangnam-Gu
Seoul 135-814 South Korea
Xeric@inter2tkorea.com