Navy engineers developing a prototype handheld, multi-modal biometric collection and device are on track to deliver the system to the Marine Corps for testing in July. An earlier prototype of the System for Intelligence and Identity Management Operations (SIIMON) was tested by the Navy for Maritime Interception Operations. The upgraded version of SIIMON includes a new camera and iris camera as well as other workflow software specific to the Marine Corps which is interested in testing the device for entry control uses such as entrance by locals in and out of a city, James Flippen, a program official with SIIMON at the Navy’s Dahlgren Surface Warfare Center, tells TR2 at the annually Navy League symposium. The prototype that has been developed is ruggedized for maritime and desert environments, is designed to be interoperable with other biometric based systems, and meets electronic biometric transmission specification standards. Flippen says the Marines want to evaluate the capability of the system versus the capabilities of other biometric devices. Funding for SIIMON ends next month. Flippen says he is unaware of any funding to develop a Block III version of the device.
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