Examples of Biometrics (www.inttelix.com)

www.inttelix.com

Biometric technologies may seem exotic, but their use is becoming increasingly common, and in 2001 MIT Technology Review named biometrics as one of the “top ten emerging technologies that will change the world.” While this briefing focuses on facial recognition, there are many different types of biometrics as Leonardo DaVinci’s Vitruvian Man makes clear. Examples include:
 


Iris Scan
Iris scanning measures the iris pattern in the colored part of the eye, although the iris color has nothing to do with the biometric. Iris patterns are formed randomly. As a result, the iris patterns in a person’s left and right eyes are different, and so are the iris patterns of identical twins. Iris scanning can be used quickly for both identification and verification applications because the iris is highly distinctive and robust.

Retinal Scan
Retinal scans measure the blood vessel patterns in the back of the eye. The device involves a light source shined into the eye of a user who must be standing very still within inches of the device. Because users perceive the technology to be somewhat intrusive, retinal scanning has not gained popularity;
currently retinal scanning devices are not commercially available.

Facial Recognition
Facial recognition records the spatial geometry of distinguishing features of the face. Different vendors use different methods of facial recognition, however, all focus on measures of key features of the face. Because a person’s face can be captured by a camera from some distance away, facial recognition has a clandestine or covert capability (i.e. the subject does not necessarily know he has been observed). For this reason, facial recognition has been used in projects to identify card counters or other undesirables in casinos, shoplifters in
stores, criminals and terrorists in urban areas.

Speaker / Voice Recognition
Voice or speaker recognition uses vocal characteristics to identify individuals using a pass-phrase. A telephone or microphone can serve as a sensor, which makes it a relatively cheap and easily deployable technology. However, voice recognition can be affected by environmental factors such as background noise. This technology has been the focus of considerable efforts on the part of the telecommunications industry and the U.S. government’s intelligence community, which continue to work on improving reliability.

Fingerprint
The fingerprint biometric is an automated digital version of the old inkand-paper method used for more than a century for identification, primarily by law enforcement agencies. The biometric device involves users placing their finger on a platen for the print to be electronically read. The minutiae are then extracted by the vendor’s algorithm, which also makes a fingerprint pattern analysis. Fingerprint biometrics currently have three main application arenas: large-scale Automated Finger Imaging Systems (AFIS) generally used for law enforcement purposes, fraud prevention in entitlement programs, and physical and computer access.

Hand/Finger Geometry
Hand or finger geometry is an automated measurement of many dimensions of the hand and fingers. Neither of these methods takes actual prints of the palm or fingers. Spatial geometry is examined as the user puts his hand on the sensor’s surface and uses guiding poles between the fingers to properly place the hand and initiate the reading. Finger geometry usually measures two or three fingers. Hand geometry is a well-developed technology that has been thoroughly field-tested and is easily accepted by users. Because hand and finger
geometry have a low degree of distinctiveness, the technology is not well-suited for identification applications.

Dynamic Signature Verification
We have long used a written signature as a means to acknowledge our identity. Dynamic signature verification is an automated method of measuring an individual’s signature. This technology examines such dynamics as speed, direction, and pressure of writing; the time that the stylus is in and out of contact with the “paper,” the total time taken to make the signature; and where the stylus is raised from and lowered onto the “paper.”

Keystroke Dynamics
Keystroke dynamics is an automated method of examining an individual’s keystrokes on a keyboard. This technology examines such dynamics as speed and pressure, the total time taken to type particular words, and the time elapsed between hitting certain keys. This technology’s algorithms are still being developed to improve robustness and distinctiveness. One potentially useful application that may emerge is computer access, where this biometric could be used to verify the computer user’s identity continuously.