Objectives

The objectives of the PopEye project are to:

1. Strengthen the capabilities of Border Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies and maximise the traveller’s experience through novel biometric technologies
   that significantly improve the identification and verification of people crossing external EU borders.
2. Improve the reliability, usability, scalability and throughout of new biometric modalities (on-the-move, contactless, long-distance stand-off capture) deployed in
   different environments and scenarios.
3. Safeguard EU values and fundamental rights (including privacy, data protection, and non-discrimination), while ensuring compliance with the Ethics Guidelines on
   Trustworthy AI, the GDPR, and the AI Act.
4. Demonstrate the impactful potential of PopEye technologies by evaluating them in the two most challenging landscapes in order to test their performance and usability
   – land and sea – with the participation of travellers and security practitioners.
5. Disseminate the results to maximise the outreach of the project, liaise with Frontex and eu-LISA, and ensure the further development of PopEye technologies to
   subsequent technology readiness levels.

To achieve the above, the project will develop in four phases, each closely linked to specific activities and objectives.

The project will start by surveying the existing literature and technologies to identify the main trends, theories, and findings in regard to biometrics on-the-move. Simultaneously,
the user needs and requirements will be extracted through the involvement of key stakeholders to derive the technical requirements related to proposed biometric technologies, thus shaping the framework architecture of the project and building a bridge between its objectives and their real-world impact.

At the end of this phase, a detailed roadmap for the Research & Development activities will be produced, which will serve as a compass for the project’s workplan.

Building on the existing capabilities and knowledge of ‘on-the-move’ biometrics, research and development will be split into complementary activities: face and iris recognition
in challenging border control points, and ridge and behavioural recognition on-the-move.

Throughout this process, PopEye will undergo continuous legal and ethical assessment to safeguard compliance with applicable EU regulations, mitigate bias and discrimination,
and enhance trust in biometric technologies and AI.

To showcase the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed solutions, the integrated framework will be demonstrated in real-life operation settings at both land and sea borders. These validation campaigns will encompass various identification and verification scenarios: open-air environments, night-time and poor lighting conditions, space constraints, and passengers at a distance travelling by foot and car. Furthermore, security practitioners will undergo training on the PopEye platform to assess its functionality and the availability of infrastructure

Based on end-user’s feedback, manuals of best practice will be created, outlining recommended actions for each pilot case. Along with information about the PopEye platform and integrated technologies, these will become training materials for end-users.

Lastly, the project will pursue four strategies to promote its implementation:

1. Targeted communication and disseminating activities to enhance the visibility of the project and involve security practitioners and other relevant stakeholders.
2. A preliminary market analysis to assess existing trends and technologies in identification and person verification, conducive to further developments that advance the Technology Readiness Levels of PopEye solutions. 
3. Specific policy recommendations based on the findings of the project and the validation campaigns, aimed at enhancing the security of EU and Third Country Nationals at
   border crossing checkpoints.
4. Contributions to relevant forums and security initiatives, highlighting the standardisation potential of the project’s technological solutions.