ID Scanners

ID Scanners

Scanning technology should replicate what the human eye does when examining an ID. Current scanner technology falls into two categories:

Barcode Scanners – Barcode scanners read the black and white barcodes on the back of an ID. These barcodes are simple graphics that can be replicated on any commercial printer. There are hundreds of internet sources for the coding necessary to counterfeit a barcode and fool a scanner. A recent test of a nationally known barcode scanning application showed a 40 percent failure rate of the scanner in detecting counterfeit IDs. New technology is being developed which may make this method more reliable. The ID Experts are being provided with beta versions of this technology to provide input to the developers. Please check back in the near future for an update.

barcodes

41TrmfOI7sL

Optical Scanners – Optical scanners combine multiple light sources, high resolution scanning, optical character recognition and extensive data from each state. These scanners can recognize features like microprint as well as compare the data in the barcodes against the name and date of birth on the front of the ID card. Optical scanners are desktop or kiosk based as they require a computer to accomplish the task. The ID Experts are currently reviewing several optical scanning systems to check for accuracy and reliability. We will report these findings as soon as possible.