TECHNOLOGY firm Human Recognition Systems is celebrating a “world first” today, after installing its pioneering technology in one of the world’s busiest airports.

Wavertree-based HRS has seen its iris recognition technology and its facial tracking system installed at Gatwick’s South Terminal as part of the airport’s £45m upgrade of the terminal’s security systems.

The systems will be unveiled at a conference in London today.

James Saxton, business development director at HRS, says this is the first time such systems have been used on such a scale at an airport.

MFlow Track scans people’s irises as they scan in their boarding card.

Older iris recognition systems mean people have to lean forward and stare into a camera. But this system means passengers can simply stand still and look at a sensor nearby.

It is used in 19 lanes at Gatwick that between them handle 5,000 passengers an hour.

Mr Saxton said: “What makes this a world first is that it’s the first use at scale of ‘iris at a distance’ recognition solutions.

“You look up, it automatically detects where the iris is, and it takes a snapshot.

“This is an ease-of-use product. It allows for a fast throughput of people. Every traveller’s woe is the delays that they face. This is queue-busting.

“Secondly, this is part of the security area. It is a security feature.

“But the real driver for us is the passenger experience. That’s why Gatwick came to us – we could bring innovative technology to meet their goal of a better passenger experience.”