Second-generation biometric device scans for vein patterns in the palm
Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. on Wednesday announced the global launch of its PalmSecure biometric authentication system. The contactless system identifies users by examining the layout of the veins in the palms of their hands.
The PalmSecure device uses a near-infrared beam, similar to that used by television remote controls, to map the layout of veins carrying oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart. According to Joel Hagberg, vice president of marketing and business development for Fujitsu, those vein patterns are unique in every person -- even more so than fingerprints or DNA.
The PalmSource scanner, which is a bit larger than a mobile phone, can be incorporated into dedicated hardware such as ATMs, or connected to a network via USB. Several versions of the scanner include "grips" to help users steady the hand during the 1-to-1.5-second authentication process. The system records both palms two times to register an initial dataset; after that, either hand can be used. The infrared beam can't penetrate heavy gloves, but field tests indicate that thin latex-type gloves, such as those used in hospitals, pose no impediment to the recognition process. Hagberg envisions that home-based scanners could even be used for remote authentication for such processes as banking or e-voting.
