Iris recognition is destined to become most used and researched biometric technology, according to industry experts.

US-based technology strategy and research consultancy, Acuity Market Intelligence, will make the upbeat prediction in its forthcoming market report, The Future of Biometrics. The research reveals that iris recognition will rapidly evolve in capabilities and ease of use over the next 10 to 15 years catapulting the technology to the forefront of biometrics applications.

Acuity anticipates that the iris recognition category will achieve a 16 per cent market share, the largest of any single biometric modality, generating $1.5bn in annual revenues worldwide.

The researcher predicts iris based access control, identity services, and surveillance will become integral to a range of platforms including border control, government ID programs, ATM usage, and facility, information, and transaction security for power and chemical plants, top secret military and intelligence installations, and financial institutions.

According to Acuity, iris recognition will become a preferred method of authentication for two primary reasons: capture technology will become increasingly more sophisticated operating accurately regardless of environmental conditions; and secondly, biometric authentication that does not require the user to "do anything" such position themselves in relation to or have physical contact with a reader, will be prove safer - no transmission of germs - and more convenient for users.