IRIS @ T4 [reliability]
 

How reliable are the IRIS machines at Heathrow Terminal 4?

Isn't it retarded that we have to ask questions like this even though Iris has been operating for years now, meaning any maintenance issues should have been solved by now?

There is a whole Thread dedicated to this topic.

IRIS@T4 - does it work?

Enjoy!

It is a bit pointless referring to OP to such an out of date thread IMHO! There are two posts from Jan 10 and the next most recent post is Mar 09. The world has moved on a tad! :)

As BA no longer use T4, we'll give this a short run before moving over to UK & Ireland.

Swanhunter
Moderator, BAEC

UKBA has taken the decision not to continue supporting the IRIS platform going forward. As the existing stock of hardware reaches the end of its service life, they will be removed without replacement.

Aren't they, eventually, going to replace IRIS with the system currently in use at MAN? :confused:

Do you happen to have any information that you can quote on that? I haven't come across that anywhere, and it seems very strange that they would do that IMO

I could never get the stupid thing to work and eventually gave up trying and while queuing at passport control I often saw others having problems, although others sailed straight through.

I don't know why they don't have fingerprint readers similar to DXB, which always worked for me.

I've had plenty of discussion with UKBA on this issue (I am the liaision for my airline with UKBA so I deal with them on an almost daily basis on various subjects), but I don't know where one might find something that specifically says this.

The key reason for this is that the IRIS technology has limitations in that it doesn't work in natural lighting environments - natural lighting interferes with the focus of the mirrors and has made it impossible to roll out IRIS at some major POEs such as London Stansted.

Fingerprints are actually easily forged and because of the build up of skin oils and debris the readers very quickly lose their efficiency. They actually need a lot of maintenance.

The camera type solution such as MAN doesn't require intimate contact with the PAX so minimal maintenance and unlike IRIS they compare the passport chip information with the PAX standing in front of the camera. Thus no need to call home to check!

Well, IRIS is to be replaced by the Advanced Rectal Recognition System
(Enhanced), or ARRSE for short.

The advantage with this system is that it isn't dependant on any
particular form of light, as it works on a touch feel recognition.

Another advantage being that it can be manually performed by UKBA
officials by hand, whenever the auto probes fail.

bjorns

Thought that was already in use but for departing PAX? :D

Do they plan to replace IRIS with a (hopefully) better system of automated clearance? Or is the whole idea going to be scrapped? I really hope not.....

I used it on arrival from Malta last night and the chap inside the doors was taking his time, the three ahead of me left the queue and joined normal passport control. As soon as they did that the chap completed his recognition and I stepped up. Was through in a jiffy, certainly no longer than the ones in T5 and I beat my travelling companions through as well.

I quite like the IRIS system. In my experience it has never failed the recognition in almost 3 years (on an average of 1 to 2 entries per week). As someone else has already reported, I noticed a considerable improvement in the machine's speed (now it never takes more that 2 seconds from the photo "snap" to "Thank you"/green arrow).

I really hope they don't scrap the project. If they need to upgrade the systems, I am quite confident that many people would be ready to pay a yearly fee...