Published just last week was a video by a biometric facial recognition company comparing their technology to fingerprint access control. In the video (below) it shows the differences in uses between mainly facial recognition and fingerprint readers. However, as a biometric manufacturer of superior fingerprint technology we thought we would take this opportunity to counter some of the problems they suggested with fingerprint readers, as not all can be tarred with the same brush as unreliable.
Firstly, the video claimed that a fingerprint reader can be duped by wet, dirty, dry or fake fingerprints. This is not true of the ievo technology. The fingerprint scanner that we use actually utilises multi-spectral imaging which means that not only is the top layer of your fingerprint scanned, but the layer below this also. This generates a very detailed description of the fingerprint so that at point of registration and subsequent entries after this, even if the fingerprint is saturated with levels of dirt, cream, dust or water you will still be able to gain entry. This is why our ievo ultimate reader in particular is very popular on construction sites and external harsh environments.
Secondly, the video failed to account for the presence of sunlight in biometric application. Usually, when a biometric sensor is subjected to direct sunlight or extreme cold temperatures (snow/ice) then the sensor will not work because the elements were not present during registration. However, the technology that ievo uses means that even if the fingerprint scanner is in contact with harsh environments, even after registration, false accepts are minimal.
Therefore, before ruling out biometric fingerprint technology, research what it is you are using the security for. ievo have both internal and external biometric applications that will suit your every need, with no need to replace your current access control system (wiegand output needed).
A new report releasing trends and growth in the biometrics market has been released by TechSci Research. According to the report a rise in the number of government projects, increasing data security concerns and the need for advanced security devices will drive the market for biometric systems globally.
The firm says: “Lack of data protection and old security practices such as photographs, passwords and PIN codes have driven the growth of biometric technologies in last few years. Security threats such as terrorist attacks, plane hijackings and higher crime rates have brought a huge need for ultimate security systems around the globe. Government projects, which include ePassports, driving licences, border management, and national ID, in major countries such as India, Mexico and Russia, are driving the extraordinary growth of biometric systems. Recently, China has also announced a biometric national ID programme which will commence in 2013. As more and more people and organisations depend on computers to store their important documents, there is an increasing need for security.”
According to ‘Global Biometric Systems Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018’, the global biometrics market revenues are anticipated to reach US$20bn by 2018. This is in the hope of increasing public security requirements such as; border control management, national identity, ePassports, internet and network access, and financial transactions are acting as growth drivers for the industry.
Presently, fingerprint recognition technology dominates the market, making it the most attractive option for security and access control. However, vein recognition technology is gaining acceptance globally, however it is yet to make its mark on the industry as a reliable option. Regionally, North America and Europe together contributed 61% of the total revenues of the global biometrics market in 2012. This market has a huge growth potential due to increasing public acceptance.
The report also covers; global biometrics market size, share and forecast, global biometrics market segmentation by technology, global biometrics market segmentation by application, global biometrics market segmentation by region, market trends and developments, competitive landscape & strategic recommendations.
You can request a sample of the report on the TechSci website
As Xbox One was unveiled yesterday in Washington, biometrics among other facets were named as a main feature. It is no secret that biometrics have played a role in gaming before with the Xbox Kinect using biometric sensor technology to map your body and movements to become the controller. However, in order to compete with the ever evolving gaming market, Xbox have introduced biometrics into their original product design.
Matt Booty, General Manager of Redmond Game Studios commented at the launch:
When I think about raw building blocks you have the ability to understand and recognise your voice, the ability to track up to six people in a room, a very wide field of view, a 1080p camera, infra-red that can detect a bit more about the state of your body… That’s just a lot of exciting building blocks and I’ve got to imagine there’s a lot of cool stuff people are going to do with that. That comes back to that theme of personalisation, and the system understanding more about who you are. That you’re not just a set of thumbs with a joy pad.
Although this is all the information that has been released so far, it seems they have saved all the details for the next Expo in LA next month. Hopefully more information on the biometric side of things will be revealed!
It has been rumoured that the iPhone 5S will include a fingerprint reader which will interface with the original button feature currently on the devices. This is apparently in the hope to firstly reduce hacking and secondly remove the need for passwords into the phone.
Apple recently posted a job opening for an engineer to work on biometric authentication, which prompted significant rumours into the newest technology interface with a smart phone.
The iPhone 5S fingerprint system is the first iPhone 5S rumour that is to hold any substance, tracing back to a report one week before the iPhone 5 launch event. Most of the rumours suggest an iPhone 5S fingerprint reader would be built into the home button, but an early iPhone 5 concept video showed one on the screen of the device.
However, with launch not until summer 2013 or early autumn, we will all just have to wait and find out if the exciting rumours are true.
If so, this shift in smart phone technology could ignite a trend in similar devices. As of yet, laptop computers have integrated fingerprint scanners into their systems, but in the UK there has been no launch of mobile phones with the biometric technology.
Lets hope that the device interface will live up the expectations set by ievo® when it comes to biometrics.
A Biometric Security firm in America has announced the release of a biometric-activated keyring solution that gives doctors access to a person’s medical records once authorised by the patient.
The electronic medical records storage product allows for the capture and storage of a person’s complete medical history and files giving medical care givers instant access to a patient’s vital medical history.
If a patient is unconscious then the device has an emergency on/off button that will display the person’s medical condition, medication the patient is taking and quantities. Also included is the patient’s blood type, allergies, if any, and any other important medical information that would assist any Doctor in providing immediate life saving treatment.
After the patient has been stabilised then he or she is able to swipe their fingerprint on the medical keyring fingerprint sensor and hand it over to the attending Doctor. The Doctor then simply takes the portable electronic medical records device to any computer and plugs it into the computer USB port. This will then display the patient’s complete medical history. The biometric fingerprint access solution is making big news in the US.
The company says the advantage of this portable fingerprint device is that it is designed to be plug and play on a PC. It does not need special software to be installed on the hospital’s computer nor does it need special training as the user interface is intuitive allowing for easy to follow menus that will provide rapid access to the patient’s complete medical files.
Microsoft has just filed a patent for real-time biometrics in gaming, thrusting the world of multiplayer gaming to a whole new dimension.
The patent outlines a system in which players can join a game already in progress, just by entering the room. The invention captures a temporal sequence of images of the face of a user at different locations inside a three-dimensional interaction space and relates this information to a user profile stored on the device. The facial recognition technology is a form of biometrics looking like it will take of in the very near future.
As the patentbolt report states, “although this technology could be adapted to all kinds of computer systems such as tablets and smartphones, Microsoft’s true focus is on real-time biometrics as it relates to multiplayer gaming.”
A frustration of many gamers, the process of adding a new gamer to any gaming situation almost always requires ending your session, selecting a player profile and restarting game-play.
Specifically, this most recent patent relates to Microsoft’s immersive next-generation gaming system now in the works. Using a depth camera, this system will be configured to generated three-dimensional image information, such as the four walls in a user’s living room, for a totally immersive experience. A new user walks into the space, and they could quickly become a part of your adventure.
Microsoft has experimented with biometrics in the past, filing a patent earlier this year for an Xbox controller with a biometric pressure-sensitive surface able to login in a user through biometric recognition.
Japanese technology giant Sony filed for a patent in May earlier this year, where it was discovered that the company intends to know just who their products’ users are through gaming entry systems. The brand is working on new user identification and tracking technology to store biometric data in it’s yet to be released Playstation 4 console.
It’s unclear exactly how the technology would work, but the patent mentions various sensors like “fingerprint readers, hand sensors, face recognition systems, voice pattern analyzers, and DNA analyzers”.
The technology being proposed addresses issues such as determining whether the person logged in to an account is actually the real account holder, piracy issues, security related factors, as well as pushing targeted advertising. Sony’s patent has been titled, “Process and Apparatus for Automatically Identifying User of Consumer Electronics,” where it describes the incorporation of fingerprint sensors which would be able to let it read some biometric data of its users on different devices including smartphones, keyboards and gaming controllers. This particular patent’s abstract reads, “A user of a device may be uniquely identified using a metric that is contingent upon the user using the device for its intended purpose without the user having to perform a separate step, function or operation for the express purpose of identifying the user.” Games that react differently to individual gamers does sound like a plausible and good “excuse” to implement this in future game consoles. Images in the patent application indicate that instead of just using the typical fingerprinting technology that won’t be able to determine the user after logging in, by using a set of appropriate biometric sensors such as fingerprint sensors, hand sensors, facial recognition system, iris and retinal scanners, voice patterns, and DNA analyzers, it would be able to determine the user even after logging into the account.
At ievo we think this could bring gaming up to a completely new level of interactivity and customisation. Although at present, it appears to be more of a concept on paper and =something that is still in the early stages of development.
Biometric finger scanners might be the new solution for students who frequently forget or lose their CATcards.
Tim Lewis, associate director for campus recreation, thought of the idea when trying to find a way that would grant students access into buildings without having their CATcards through the access control system.
“Because there is only one other school in the nation that we could find utilizing biometric finger vein scanners, we were nervous about the functionality and ease of using this technology,” Lewis said.
The Biometric fingerprint reader uses near-infrared light through a camera to identify each student’s unique veins.
Lewis said he felt more comfortable that he made the right decision about the project when he saw the positive response coming from faculty and students.
“I am excited to admit we couldn’t be happier with the scanners,” he said “They have performed to our expectations through the first few weeks of school.”
The scanners are installed in the Patrick Gym, where students can use the biometric devices to register their ‘identity’.
Nicole Todd, assistant director of campus recreation has seen a positive response thus far.
“From what we’ve seen this first week of the semester, the students, faculty and staff have been really excited about the scanners,” Todd said. “Aside from the ‘wow factor’ that comes with new technology, it allows an alternative door access method.”
The fingerprint reader will take two to five minutes to register a student’s identity in the computer. Once the student has registered it will only take two seconds to scan into the gym.
Junior Rachael Haab was optimistic about this new technology.
“I feel like it’s a lot better because you don’t need your CATcard, which makes going to the gym easier,” Haab said.
ievo will have more very exciting news to post about biometrics in gyms very soon!
A scanner that can take fingerprints from people on the streets in seconds are to be introduced by West Midlands Police next week following a successful pilot project.
The hi-tech mobile fingerprint scanners allows police officers to cross-reference fingerprints against the police national computer, instantly alerting officers if scanned prints belong to a convicted criminal.
But concerns have been raised by civil liberty group Big Brother Watch who compared the scheme to ‘the ID card system.’
West Midlands Police Chief Inspector Darren Walsh, who is leading the project said “The scanners cut bureaucracy and save countless police hours by keeping officers out on the streets rather than hauling suspects through potentially drawn-out custody procedures.“
“Traditionally, if officers had suspicions about an individual we’d need to take them to a police station, go through the custody process, and fingerprint them at the station which could take hours. The MobileID kits quickly confirm whether an arrest is necessary and frees-up officers to be on the streets protecting the public.”
The police force said the devices are used to check prints against the national database and doesn’t permanently store scanned images.
At ievo we feel this is only the beginning for biometrics within the UK Police….
The DVLA have signalled that the paper section of the driving licence is to be replaced by 2015.
The plan is to have all driver information on one smart card which could include the licence holder’s photo, any endorsements as well as iris and fingerprint software.
The DVLA do appear slightly uneasy about public reaction to this proposal. It is well aware that the previous government’s proposal to introduce electronic card access failed due to public outrage, and the idea of having almost the same data appearing on a driving licence could provoke a similar reaction.
The DVLA is committed to abolishing the paper section, but it is not yet committing itself to what will replace it. The DVLA told industry publication, Fleet News, that ‘the UK has yet to decide whether or when a chip might be added’ to the driving licence, but it was ‘continually looking at ways to improve the security of the driving licence’.
The UK Government has already signalled its intention to bin the paper counterpart of the licence from 2015, while a driver’s address will no longer appear on the existing photocard from 2013/14.
A DVLA spokesman said: “This will mean that a driver will no longer have to return the driving licence to the DVLA when they change address or receive points.”
Used much in the same way as access control systems, these smart cards seem feasible and user friendly. The only problem would be getting the population used to biometric data and how it is being used. Many may already be away of fingerprint technology and the like, but many won’t be. Therefore, if they are to enforce these changes it would be a good idea to teach people how this form of biometric security works and how it will affect their everyday lives.
