Worldcoin Foundation Releases Open-Source Components for Orb’s Software
In a groundbreaking move, the Worldcoin Foundation has made core components of the Orb’s software open source, now available on GitHub under an MIT/Apache 2.0 dual license. This development adds to Worldcoin’s existing public hardware and iris recognition repositories, further advancing the Worldcoin Tech Tree.
The Orb is a revolutionary solution designed to verify human identity online, with a strong emphasis on privacy and security. By utilizing biometric verification methods, the Orb aims to distinguish humans from artificial intelligence (AI) in a secure and efficient manner.
The newly released open-source components play a crucial role in the Orb’s operation, which involves capturing images and securely transferring them to the World App for verification. This system supports the World ID verification process, offering the highest level of verification to confirm an individual’s humanness through a series of checks involving eye and face image analysis, followed by iris verification.
Privacy and security are at the core of the Orb’s design, with the device processing images directly and securely transferring them to the user without the need for external storage or central backend processing. The device is also highly resistant to spoofing and tampering, ensuring integrity in potentially adversarial environments. Transparency and verifiability are key aspects, allowing for public auditing of the Orbs, including software and cryptographic key checks.
The technical infrastructure of the Orb is powered by Tools for Humanity (TFH), which has dedicated years to developing a secure computing environment for the device. The device utilizes the NVIDIA Jetson for processing data from multiple camera streams to verify World ID quickly and efficiently.
Software-wise, the Orb runs multiple Rust applications on the Jetson, leveraging asynchronous programming and NVIDIA’s TensorRT engine for neural network inference. The device is powered by Orb OS, a custom GNU/Linux distribution prioritizing security with system integrity checks, a security-hardened configuration, and a comprehensive update system.
The release of key software components, including the do_signup function in orb-core, signifies a significant advancement in the World ID verification process. This function orchestrates the sequence of capturing images, processing biometric data, and securely transmitting signed iris codes for uniqueness verification.
Worldcoin, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Max Novendstern, and Alex Blania in 2019, continues to push boundaries in the world of biometric verification and identity technology. The release of these open-source components marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Orb and its capabilities.
