Face ID & eye's retina

[macfacts]

I am very interested in what Face ID's infrared hardware can potentially do to the eye - retina, in particular? Very scarce info on the web so far but starting to appear.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3116568/

Here is a study done on rabbits with IR light 20cm from their face. Results were it is possible to get cataract.

 

[PastaPrimav]

I am very interested in what Face ID's infrared hardware can potentially do to the eye - retina, in particular? Very scarce info on the web so far but starting to appear.

You can't be that interested if you're posting here instead of taking in the plethora of available research on the safety of IR.

 

[RobertGTA]

I found this in a similar discussion thread about the Kinect:

The Prime Sensor Development Kit implements a projecting element that emits light at the near IR wavelength. Therefore it undergoes laser safety regulations compliancy tests. The Prime Sensor Development Kit is designed as a class 1 laser device and was certified by independent laboratories for class 1 compliancy in accordance with IEC 60825-1. The following definitions provide a high level description of eye safety classification: Class 1: These laser products pose no risk to eyes or skin under normal operational conditions, including occasions when users view the beam directly using optics that concentrate the output into the eye. Note: Do not attempt to disassemble the Prime Sensor(tm). The Prime Sensor is not designed to tolerate significant physical shocks. A damage to the Prime Sensor exterior (and especially to the optics that cover the light source), may result in hazardous radiation exposure. Upon occurrence of damage to the Prime Sensor, a user must stop using the product immediately.

Apple's press release said: The TrueDepth camera system is safe to use under normal usage conditions. The system will not cause any harm to eyes or skin, due to its low output. It's important to know that the infrared emitters could be damaged during repair or disassembly, so your iPhone should always be serviced by Apple or an authorized service provider. The TrueDepth camera system incorporates tamper-detection features. If tampering is detected, the system may be disabled for safety reasons.

I wonder whether the "tamper-detection features" would also detect damage to the optics from physical shock. I have been known to drop my iPhones, and I have a kindergartener who likes to toss things from the second-storey landing. I also wonder how much shock-proofing is there given how compact the system is.

 

[sumsingwong]

I remember when those old Sony Handycams were around with nightshot. The IR was so strong you could see through clothes. You can buy LED IR flashlights not that can throw IR light a good distance and I believe the military uses pretty strong IR equipment such as strobes on ground troops to identify friendlies from the air at night.

My workplace uses retinal scanning to get in buildings and I would think they wouldn't use something that would cause them lawsuits from retinal damage.