Internal Biometrics, Inc.
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Overview
Why a biometric is unique
Features of the human body form through a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Vascular (vein) patterns and fingerprint ridges are examples. The genetic code in DNA gives general orders for the way skin or a vein should form in a developing fetus, but the specific way it forms is a result of random events. The exact position of the fetus in the womb at a particular moment and the exact composition and density of the surrounding amniotic fluid determine how every individual vein and fingerprint ridge will form.
Vein Pattern Biometrics (VPR)
The patterns used by VPR are best described as a picture of the veins in a person's hand or eyes (as in a retinal scan). The thickness and location of these veins are believed to be unique enough to an individual that they can be used to verify a person's claimed identity. Research has shown that the only characteristic of vein patterns that DO change during one’s lifetime is that the veins get larger—the pattern itself does not vary.
Consequently, vein patterns are a unique marker for a person, even an identical twin. And while two patterns may look basically the same at a glance, an advanced piece of software can pick out clear, defined differences. Spartan Shield VPR’s job is to obtain a vein picture and instantly compare it to the recorded sample on the user’s ID card.
Spartan Shield VPR is a drop-in replacement for legacy proximity card systems—the familiar “what you have” card reader systems. The Shield is easy to install: the card reader is removed and its four wires are reconnected to the Shield, which is then mounted to the wall in place of the old reader. This makes the Shield a logical choice in situations where infrastructure upgrades to allow high-speed data transfer cannot be justified.
The biodata is placed on the user’s card during “enrollment.” Enrollment can be performed when a new employee is hired, when a visitor gets cleared to enter a facility, etc. Enrollment is accomplished when a user presents a blank card issued by the facility to any Spartan Shield unit, which records his hand vein pattern and writes it to the card.
Once the user’s vein pattern is stored on the card, operation is very easy. The user will approach a Shield unit and present his card to be read, then present his hand, and within one second will be approved or disapproved for access to the desired location or object. Spartan Shield VPR can be mounted indoors or out.
Potential of VPR as a security technology
User acceptance must be addressed before adopting any biometric system. Of the four main “personal” systems—Fingerprinting, Hand Recognition, Iris Scanning and Hand Vein Recognition (as opposed to “mass use” systems such as Facial Recognition)—only the Hand-based methods are not perceived as “intrusive.”
Many users view Fingerprinting as insidious because fingerprint usage is so pervasive in law enforcement and governmental functions that users have privacy concerns. Iris Scanning is “scary” to many people because they must look into a scanner window to use the system. While these Iris units aren’t damaging or “lasing” their eyes, most people fear the worst and therefore don’t like using them.
Ease of use is also a point of interest with all biometric technologies. Only Facial Recognition is non-interactive. Fingerprinting, Hand Recognition, VPR, and especially Iris Scanning require active user participation in the authentication process. Fingerprinting and Hand methods are relatively simple to use since the user can quickly direct his hand or finger into the correct placement.
Why VPR is emerging now
Because vein patterns are subcutaneous, they have always been considered a highly secure biometric. The ever-falling price of technology has finally made vein pattern biometrics viable.
Coupled with the growing recognition that “What you have” and “What you know” security methods are outmoded, biometrics usage is exploding and freshly practical biometric techniques like VPR are finding customers. Clearly, the trend toward widespread VPR usage is accelerating.
See a video of Spartan Shield VPR in action here.
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© 2005 by Internal Biometrics, Inc.
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