• Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Login
Campus Rec Magazine
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Campus Rec Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Facility Development

Eye Scanners Yield Effective Results at Georgia

John Reecer by John Reecer
November 17, 2022
in Facility Development, Technology
0
Eye scanners

Image courtesy of the University of Georgia

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

In 2017, iris recognition devices were installed at the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Ramsey Student Center. Since then, the eye scanners assist with the daily check-in of patrons into the fitness and wellness areas.

Keith Wenrich, the director of Recreational Sports, said the center has a total of four iris recognition devices connected to the department’s InnoSoft Fusion management system.

UGA’s Dining Services department first decided to implement the technology. Wenrich said Recreational Sports saw the opportunity and installed the scanners at the same time.

“We also worked alongside our ID card office to ensure we were in compliance,” said Wenrich. “These scanners have allowed us to gain accurate counts of who is using our facility. The recognition software determines whether the patron is ‘fees paid’ or not and allows our turnstiles to automatically open or deny entry.”

Operations and Benefits

Wenrich said all incoming students are enrolled into this system during their summer orientation sessions when they receive their campus ID cards. This process allows them to enter the facility as soon as they begin their first semester.

Students and other patrons position their face in front of the eye scanner which will then identify them. Wenrich said the iris recognition devices were installed by SRI International, an American nonprofit scientific research institute and organization headquartered in Menlo Park, California.

EXTRA CREDIT: Read more here about what the future of campus rec may include.

The iris camera system uses a mathematical analysis of the random patterns within the iris of an eye to verify a person’s identity. In the enrollment stage, the technology captures a digital photographed iris pattern (D-PIP) of a user’s eyes. When a user approaches a turnstile, the iris camera compares the D-PIP at the recognition station for verification.

The system provides accurate authentication from an estimated 10 to 14 inches away and in less than two seconds. The system also works with contacts, eyeglasses and goggles.

“Previously, we had biometric hand scanners,” said Wenrich. “When you average 6,000 to 7,000 patrons a day, those scanners were difficult to keep sanitary and maintain. Fortunately, we made the change prior to COVID-19, or else we would have been forced to change our admissions operations in a more significant way.”

Campus Reaction Advice

While the eye scanners have been a large success at UGA thus far, Wenrich said they were not a hit with everyone at first. However, they now receive little to no complaints about the devices.

“We had a few long-time members who did not want to enroll in this new system,” said Wenrich. “There were some misguided concerns this new process was doing more than just recognizing them as an active member of our facility. For those that are not interested in utilizing this process, we allow them to present their campus ID card for entry into our facility.”

For other departments who may be considering adding similar check-in technology, Wenrich said it’s important to have backup devices ready in case of any malfunctions. Also, it would be ideal to add advanced technology such as eye scanners when other entities on campus are doing the same.

“I would suggest to not be isolated on your campus,” said Wenrich. “It was great to have other areas of the university implementing the technology simultaneously for support and trouble shooting. Another recommendation is to push for having the ability to enroll patrons in your facility if they did not enroll at the main office. Having this feature allows us to provide our patrons with better customer service.”

 

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Tags: campus reccampus recreationeye scannersfeaturedInnosoft Fusioniris recognitionSRI InternationaltechnologyUniversity of Georgia
Previous Post

Director Download No. 7: Silvia Chan and Jay Frain at UConn

Next Post

Butler Opens New Esports Park on Campus

John Reecer

John Reecer

John is an editor at Peake Media. Contact him at john@peakemedia.com.

Related Posts

Seven Best Practices for AI Prompt Engineering
Columns

Seven Best Practices for AI Prompt Engineering

June 17, 2025
Revamping Campus Recreation: Inside the Latest Renovations and New Builds
Facility Development

Revamping Campus Recreation: Inside the Latest Renovations and New Builds

May 22, 2025
Sustainability Practices
Facility Development

Sustainability Practices for Rec Centers

May 21, 2025
ai in campus rec
Columns

The AI Imperative: Why, Now and How to Responsibly Use AI in Campus Rec

April 15, 2025
data visualization
Columns

Storytelling with Dashboards: Using Data Visualization to Promote Campus Recreation

March 18, 2025
Esports room development
Esports

Esports Room Development at East Stroudsburg University Brings Gaming and Community to Campus

March 6, 2025
Next Post
Esports park

Butler Opens New Esports Park on Campus

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Updates in your inbox

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
Campus Rec Logo

The premier business resource for college and university recreation centers.

The Current Issue

May/June 2025

May/June 2025

Browse

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Media Kit
  • Contact

© 2025 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2025 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.