Periocular / Sclera / Retina Recognition

Biometrics based on eye-adjacent regions—periocular texture, scleral patterns, or retinal vasculature—used when full-face or iris capture is limited.

Overview

Periocular and retina methods analyze regions around the eye to identify individuals, providing fallback or high-accuracy options in constrained environments.

How it works

  1. Capture high-resolution imagery of the eye region.
  2. Extract texture or vascular features.
  3. Match against templates using specialized algorithms.

Common use cases

  • Masked face scenarios
  • Surveillance at a distance
  • Medical or access-control research

Strengths and limitations

Strengths: Works with partial faces; retina offers very low error rates.
Limitations: Intrusive imaging for retina; limited commercial deployments.

Key terms

  • Periocular region: Area surrounding the eye.
  • Retinal vasculature: Blood vessel pattern at the back of the eye.

References