ROC advances research and education at WVU Statler College with state-of-the-art computer vision and biometrics donation

An in-kind gift to WVU from computer vision leader ROC gives students and faculty within the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources access to the company’s cutting-edge software development kit. (WVU Photo)

An in-kind gift to West Virginia University from ROC, a world leader in computer vision for the U.S. military, law enforcement and fintech, is enhancing biometric systems engineering exploration at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources to benefit future students. The gift allows students and faculty within the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering to access the company’s cutting-edge software development kit (SDK).

Story by Cassie Rice, WVU Today
Photos by WVU Today

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Biometric systems are used for positive personal identification in law enforcement, access control, banking and a wide range of other business and administrative systems. Such systems are composed of complex hardware and software designed to measure a signature of the human body, compare the signature to a database and render a decision for a given application based on the identification achieved from this matching process.

ROC’s multimodal biometrics suite includes face recognition, fingerprint recognition and iris recognition, plus object and threat detection. All technology is proudly made in America to an industry-leading code of ethics. “ROC is an industry leader in the biometrics sector,” Jeremy Dawson, associate professor in the Lane Department, said. “Their cutting-edge recognition software will give students the opportunity to apply these tools in research projects funded by the Center for Identification Technology Research and other agencies. It also provides unique learning and training opportunities that students would not normally receive. It is a great addition to our suite of capabilities.”

ROC is the No. 1 global facial recognition provider in combined accuracy and efficiency, according to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) rankings.

“We are beyond thrilled to provide WVU students and faculty with access to our world-class biometric and computer vision technologies,” said Scott Swann, CEO of ROC. “Having earned my master’s degree in software engineering from WVU, I am excited that we can be part of training the next generation of computer vision engineers. This partnership will give students valuable, hands-on experience with innovative technologies that are increasingly critical for both government and commercial applications. It goes hand-in-hand with ROC’s mission of promoting homegrown innovation at its core.”

The donation provides students with unfettered access to the ROC SDK for research and coursework in areas such as computer vision, biometrics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and cybersecurity.

As the only American-made multimodal biometrics and computer vision provider, ROC is trusted by the U.S. military, law enforcement and leading fintech brands. The company has offices in Denver, Colorado; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. ROC multimodal solutions deliver game-changing results with battle-tested reliability across National Institute of Standards and Technology government testing, military applications, and 200 million-plus annual identity-proofing transactions. The in-kind gift from ROC was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University

---