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Conference Review

The Optical Document Security (ODS) Conference, which took place in San Francisco from January 29-31 attracted 168 delegates from 24 countries and 114 different organisations with 7 table-top displays in the exhibition.

The conference was preceded by a joint morning session with Electronic Imaging’s Media Watermarking, Security & Forensic Conference and an afternoon short course on the new topic ‘The Detection and Techniques of Banknote and ID Counterfeiting’ presented by Interpol and the US Department of Homeland Security.

The ODS conference is specifically about optical science related to the security of documents. It is the forum where embryo technologies or technologies recently conceived or in their infancy are introduced, to be critically appraised by a technically-focused audience from government bodies, institutions or commercial organisations involved in secure documents. The hope of the presenters and delegates alike is that ‘next generation’ security technologies will emerge from the conference.

Technology updates

The conference also allows the industry to follow those technologies that develop past the concept stage though infancy to maturity, always focussing on the science behind the developments. Thus, some of the papers or exhibition displays feature technologies which were introduced at a previous conference – such updates can be as relevant and informative as new technologies. For example, at 2018’s ODS conference Luke Maguire of the Reserve Bank of Australia introduced caustic surfaces to produce projection images that can be authenticated using a smartphone. This was augmented at this year’s ODS with a paper from Sicpa’s Andrea Callegari on ‘Caustic-based Optical Security in the Banknote context’.

Surys (formerly Hologram Industries) introduced Plasmon technology at ODS in 2012 (Extraordinary transmission for an effective see-through DOVID). Two years later at ODS 2014, Surys presented ‘Plasmon Science for a Novel Metallic Glance with a Dramatic and Azimuthal Colour Shift’.
Whilst in 2016 Surys combined transmission and reflection with the introduction of the Plasmogram™. At this year’s ODS, Surys presented their Plasmogram optimised Reverso Product that incorporates optimised hybrid metal dielectric structures that present different reflective colours on the front and back of a polymer banknote, and a different colour in transmission whilst also each combining an angular colour shift.

Day one: human factors, novel materials and production

A wide range of technologies conveniently grouped into five sessions of similar topics were covered over two days. The first day of the conference opened with a session dedicated to Human Factors and Design, and a thought provoking keynote speech from conference chairman Ian Lancaster on ‘The Continuing Role of Human Senses in Authentication’ which emphasised that we should value the contribution of human senses in document authentication and educate the digital developers to recognise this value. This was followed by a paper on ‘Lab-based Perception Studies on Whole Notes’ from the Bank of Canada which including gaze tracking, and a final session paper from the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing which concluded that security feature technologies are maturing and diffusing at a rapid rate and that intaglio printing has become an effective deterrence to counterfeiting.

Session two focussed on Novel Materials and included a total of seven papers, showing the high level of invention and innovation in this field. The session began with a paper from Polytechnique Montréal introducing active electrochromic materials for potential use in transparent windows on banknotes and other important documents. This was followed by a presentation on Caustic based Optical Security for Banknotes from Sicpa, and a fascinating paper on ‘Laser-Nanostructuring of Plasmonic Nanoparticles’ from Opsec and Nottingham Trent University. The latter paper outlined how it is possible to control plasmonic nanoparticles using lasers to produce overt localised surface plasmon resonance colour switch effects that could be used for transparent window features.

A new photoactive embossable ink that produces optical security features was the theme in a paper from Annalisa Colombo from EPTAINKS. This was followed by the Surys paper presented by Soukainan Es-Saidi on the latest Plasmogram Reverso product as previously outlined, prior to two papers from OVD Kinegram on: ‘Achromatic and Monochromatic Effects based on Non-Holographic Microstructures’ which outlined diffractive watermark and circle movement effects together with directional white microstructures, and a paper by John Peters on ‘Transforming DOVIDS for the Digital World’ which concluded that DOVIDS need to be designed for both human and machine verification and that physical ID’s will remain the reliable root of trust for the future.

Production was the topic of the final session of day one and opened with a paper form KBA NotaSys on ‘Micro-Optic Noise: Causes, Quantification and Solutions’. The paper concluded noise in micro-optics results from three main areas : design, configuration and manufacture, with configuration being the easiest to quantify. This was followed by a joint paper from inIT-Institute Industrial IT and KBA NotaSys on ‘Intaglio Style Transfer – Partially Automating the Intaglio Image Creation’ that utilised Convolutional Neural Networks to encode RGB (red, green,and blue) and greyscale images to synthesise intaglio images. Mary Kombolias from the US Government Publishing Office and National Institute of Standards and Technology then presented a paper on ‘Resonant Cavity Dielectric Spectroscopy for Quality assurance Evaluations of Secure Documents’ which proved that the technique can be used to provide information on composition (fiber types and colorants), and the relative age for printing and writing grades of paper. The last paper of day one was presented by Elisabeth Limbacher from Orell Füssli on ‘Market Developments: When Technology meets Artisanship’.

Day two : smartphones, examination and authentication

Day two began with a session on Optical Security Interaction with Smartphones and included six papers. Charles Gale from Pulsetech Security opened the session with a paper titled ‘A multi-layer Denisyuk Hologram for Authentication by Smartphone’ which outlined a new type of photopolymer authentication security marker that can incorporate multiple data sets and be read by a smartphone. Following on was a paper from CSEM on ‘Transparent DOVIDs Optimised for Readability With any Smartphone’ which built on CSEM’s paper presented at ODS 2018, and highlighted that high transparency / invisible security DOVIDS can be produced, and read with a smartphone operating system without the need to develop a dedicated app. This was followed by a paper from Fraunhofer SIT on ‘Securing Physical Documents with Digital Signatures’ that outlined a fingerprint technology that utilises public key infrastructure (PKI) and an eight colour machine readable JAB Code that can be read offline.

Paper four from the University of Utah and Oblate Optics focussed on ‘Ultra-flat Micro- and Nano-Optical Security Features’ and presented a new completely flat micro-lens that is up to 5 times thinner and cheaper to manufacture than conventional hemispherical micro-lenses. This was followed by the penultimate paper of the session presented by Zhicheng Ye on ‘Flexibly Tuneable Smartphone Recognisable Plasmonic Colours’ from China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The paper outlined how the intrinsic polarisation character of plasmonic structural colours can be utilised to produce plasmonic tags that can be read by a smartphone. The final smartphone session paper from Bulgarian based Demax on ‘Nano-optical Variable Device for Easy Recognition and Smartphone Verification’ outlined the development of an electron beam originated security device that can incorporate a unique nano-optical high security code that can be read by a smartphone without the use of additional equipment attached to the smartphone.

The last session of the conference was dedicated to Examination and Authentication and included five papers. Elisabeth Schulz from the European Central Bank opened the session with a paper on ‘Emulated Security Holograms on Euro Banknotes – A Technology’ which outlined the holograms of the Europa series have not been successfully attacked. This was followed by a paper from the University of Birmingham (UK) on ‘3D Micro-Optics Enable Fast Banknote Authentication by Non-expert Users’ which reported on a perception study on Crane Currency’s 3D micro-optic Motion Surface security feature. The study concluded that 3D signals are rapidly available to the brain (within 100 milliseconds) and are rapidly processed even under very low light levels.

High-entropy Multi-dimensional OVD Characterisation Facilitating Multimodal Authentication’ was presented by Swedish based gonioLabs and concluded that high-entropy OVD characterisation facilitates authentication. The penultimate paper from Regula on ‘Analysis of Currency and Documents with Counterfeit OVIDS’ built on the presentation delivered at ODS 2016 on the Regular 2303.01 desktop reader. This latest presentation analysed a series of counterfeit currency holograms using the desktop reader and was able to detect the counterfeits holograms with a high probability and quantitatively.

The final paper of the conference was presented by Volker Lohweg from the InIT-Institute Industrial IT on ‘Creating a Self-Authentication System for Smart Banknotes’. This fascinating paper outlined the definition of a smart banknote and the use of chemicals, in this case spiropyrans, to act as a clock in a banknote life cycle to assist as a memory or ageing marker.

The papers were excellent in general – good level of technical data and new & developing technologies. This is the leading conference from a technology perspective for our industry & long may it continue.

OpSec Security Group

Excellent. Really good selection of papers. Great selection of delegates too.

Alan Hodgson Consulting

Fantastic experience! Very well planned and well executed! It was an honour to be included. Thank you.

USGPO/NIST

They were many interesting topics, especially about counterfeiting and “new” security features. I met many people who are experts in their field. Thank you.

Statni Tiskarna Cenin

Very well organised, the sessions were grouped well. Logistics were so nice – food, stay, breaks. Very good mix of delegates, speakers & companies. Message was very clear. Thank you!

Saint Gobain Corporation

Very interesting and illuminating, great balance between technologies presented by academy and industry respectively.

JDLZ Consulting

Attendees

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

Austria

AJW Inc

USA

Alan Hodgson Consulting

United Kingdom

Angstrom Technologies, Inc.

USA

ANY Security Printing Company PLC

Hungary

Authentix Inc

USA

Banco de España

Spain

Bank of Canada

Canada

BASF Corporation

USA

BASF SE

Germany

Bundesdruckerei GmbH

Germany

Bundeskriminalamt Wiesbaden

Germany

Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd

Canada

Centro Grafico DG S.p.A

Italy

collIDe

USA

Crane Currency

USA

Crane Payment Innovations

USA

Crime Science Technology

France

CSEM SA Basel

Switzerland

Cummins-Allison Corporation

USA

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

USA

Danmarks Nationalbank

Denmark

De La Rue

United Kingdom

De Montfort University

United Kingdom

Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL)

United Kingdom

DEMAX Holograms Plc

Bulgaria

Eastman Kodak Company

USA

Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal

Canada

EPTAINKS S.P.A

Italy

European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex)

Poland

European Central Bank

Germany

Exponent Inc.

USA

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

USA

Federal Reserve Board of Governors

USA

Foster & Freeman USA

USA

Fraunhofer SIT

Germany

Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology GmbH

Germany

Gleitsmann Security Inks GmbH

Germany

gonioLabs AB

Sweden

Heidelberg Instruments Mikrotechnik GmbH

Germany

HID Global

USA

Hologramas de Mexico (HOLOMEX)

Mexico

Hueck Folien GmbH

Austria

IAI industrial systems B.V.

Netherlands

inIT – Institute Industrial IT

Germany

Innovative Technology Ltd

United Kingdom

Inovink Ltd

United Kingdom

Interpol

France

JDLZ Consulting

Israel

JSC RPC Krypten

Russia

KBA-NotaSys SA

Switzerland

Landqart AG

Switzerland

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

USA

Lazos Internacionales Sa de Cv

Mexico

Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co KG

Germany

LK Forensic Competencies

Switzerland

Los Alamos National Laboratory

USA

Luminescence International Ltd

United Kingdom

Nanotech Security Corp

Canada

National Bank of Belgium

Belgium

National Identity Management Commission of Nigeria

Nigeria

National Institute of Standards and Technology

USA

New Light Industries Ltd

USA

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

USA

Oberthur Fiduciaire SAS

France

Oesterreichische Banknoten und Sicherheitsdruck GmbH (OEBS)

Austria

Ohio State University

USA

Onfido

United Kingdom

OpSec Security Group

United Kingdom

Orell Füssli Security Printing Limited

Switzerland

OVD Kinegram AG

Switzerland

Pacific Holographics

USA

Papierfabrik Louisenthal GmbH

Germany

Polish Security Printing Works (PWPW)

Poland

Precision Converting Technologies

USA

Pulsetech Security Limited

United Kingdom

Regula Baltija Ltd

Latvia

Rolic Technologies Ltd.

Switzerland

Rolling Optics AB

Sweden

Saint Gobain Corporation

Schreiner Group GmbH & Co KG

Germany

Sectago GmbH

Germany

SECULYSIS Research institute Inc.

Japan

Security Fibres UK Limited

United Kingdom

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

China

SICPA SA

Switzerland

STA Technologies Inc

USA

Statni Tiskarna Cenin

Czech Republic

SURYS

France

Swiss National Bank

Switzerland

tesa scribos GmbH

Germany

Thales

France

Toppan Printing Co Ltd (Japan)

Japan

Ultra Electronics Forensic Technology Inc.

Canada

UnderCurrency S.A. de C.V.

Mexico

University of Birmingham

United Kingdom

University of Utah

USA

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing

USA

US Department of State

USA

US Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs

USA

US Immigration & Customs Enforcement – Virginia

USA

US Secret Service

USA

Viavi Solutions Inc

USA

Wavefront Technology

USA

Yokohama National University

Japan

Yes. Interesting presentations and discussions, as always. I would like some more exhibit time, if possible.

Foster & Freeman

First year attending conference- generally happy with programme and aligned with expectations – personally found presentations from universities and smaller collaborators more interesting as more technical content than established companies where it felt more of a sales pitch.

De La Rue

ODS is the most technical conference of the industry – please keep it that way!

Landqart AG

Wednesday 29 January

13:00 – 17:00

The Detection and Techniques of Banknote and ID Counterfeiting

In this innovative Short Course, an expert banknote and an expert identity document examiner will each present an analysis of the optical security features they see on fraudulent banknotes, passports, visas and other ID items.

Course participants will learn and understand about the evolving threat of counterfeit optical security features. They will see how these forensic examiners go about their job of identifying fakes and trying to track their provenance to find the criminals responsible. The Course leaders will show a variety of fake optical features on their document carriers and explain the techniques that have been used to make them. Most importantly, they will give guidance on how to examine optical features in the field as well as in a more controlled environment, showing some of the typical indicators that a feature is fake, altered or fraudulent in some other way..

Thursday 30 January

Hover on the presentation title or speaker to see if more information is available.

Presentation is available for download, click on the icon to access the download page.

Session 1: Human Factors and Design

08:30

Welcome to ODS 2020

Mark Deakes, Conference Director

Reconnaissance International (United Kingdom)

08:40

The Continuing Role of Human Senses in Authentication

Ian Lancaster

Reconnaissance International (United Kingdom)

09:05

Lab-Based Perception Studies on Whole Notes

Badr Omrane

Bank of Canada (Canada)

09:30

Technology Life Cycle for U.S. Currency Security Features

Stephen Surko

Bureau of Engraving and Printing (United States)

Session 2: Novel Materials

10:25

Active Electrochromic Optical Security Devices

Bill Baloukas

Polytechnique Montréal (Canada)

10:50

Caustic-based Optical Security in the Banknote Context

Andrea Callegari

SICPA (Switzerland)

11:15

Laser-induced structuring of thin metal films: A method to produce optical security features using surface plasmon resonance

Garry W. Mudd

OpSec Security Ltd & Nottingham Trent University (United Kingdom)

11:40

Selected Photoactive Compounds (PAC) from Microelectronics for Security Docume

Annalisa Colombo

EPTAINKS S.P.A. (Italy)

13:30

From the Physics of Plasmogram Technology to optimized Reverso Product

Soukaina ES-SAIDI

SURYS (France)

13:55

Achromatic and Monochromatic Effects based on a new class of non_holographic asymmetric micro_structures

Sebastian Mader

OVD Kinegram AG (Switzerland)

14:20

Transforming DOVIDs for the Digital World

John A. Peters

OVD Kinegram AG (Switzerland)

Session 3: Production

15:15

Micro-Optic Noise: Causes, Quantification and Solutions

Robert Stewart

KBA NotaSys (Switzerland)

15:40

Intaglio Style Transfer – Partially Automating the Intaglio Image Creation

Volker Lohweg

inIT-Institute Industrial IT (Germany)

16:05

Resonant Cavity Dielectric Spectroscopy for QA/QC Evaluations of Secure Documents

Mary Kombolias

USGPO / NIST (United States)

16:30

Market Developments: When Technology Meets Artisanship

Elisabeth Limbacher

Orell Füssli Security Printing Ltd (Switzerland)

Friday 31 January

Session 4: Optical Security Interaction with Smartphones

09:00

A Multi-layer Denisyuk Hologram for Authentication by Smartphone

Charles Gale

Pulsetech Security Ltd (United Kingdom)

09:25

Transparent DOVIDs Optimized for Readability With any Smartphone

Guillaume Basset

CSEM SA (Switzerland)

09:40

Securing physical documents with digital signatures

Huajian Liu

Fraunhofer SIT (Germany)

10:40

Ultra-flat Micro- and Nano-optical Security Features

Rajesh Menon

University of Utah (United States)

11:05

Flexibly Tuneable Smartphone Recognizable Plasmonic Colours

Zhicheng Ye

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)

11:30

Nano-optical Variable Device for Easy Recognition and Smartphone Verification

Valentin Monovski

Demax (Bulgaria)

Session 5: Examination and Authentication

13:30

Emulated Security Holograms on Euro Banknotes – a Technology Review

Elisabeth Schulz

European Central Bank

13:55

3D Micro-Optics Enable Fast Banknote Authentication by Non-expert Users

Jane Raymond

University of Birmingham (United Kingdom)

14:20

High-entropy Multidimensional OVD Characterization Facilitating Multimodal Authentication

Mikael Lindstrand

gonioLabs (Sweden)

14:45

Analysis of Currency and Documents with Counterfeit OVIDs

Arif Mamedov

Regula Forensics, Inc (United States)

15:10

Creating a Self-authentication System for Smart Banknotes

Volker Lohweg

inIT-Institute Industrial IT (Germany)

Excellent organisation and location.

Canadian Bank Note

Good, as always. Of course, San Francisco is a great venue to host the conference.

BASF

Always valuable, informative and well organized.

colIDE

Table Top Exhibitors

Many thanks to the following exhibitors for taking part in our table top exhibition on Thursday evening.

  • Alan Hodgson Consulting
  • DEMAX Holograms Plc
  • Eptainks SpA
  • Foster & Freeman USA
  • Nanotech Security Corp.
  • Regula Forensics Inc
  • Sectago GmbH