How does Finger Recognition Work?

Fingerprinting, fingerprint recognition or finger recognition, takes an image of a person's fingertips and records its characteristics. Whorls, arches, and loops are recorded along with patterns of ridges, furrows, and minutiae. Information is processed or stored as an image or as an encoded computer algorithm.

In most cases no image of the fingerprint is actually created, only a set of data that can be used for comparison. A user presses his/her finger gently against a small reader surface (optical or silicon), the reader is attached to a computer and takes the information from the scan and sends it to the database.

Current Applications for Finger Printing

Fingerprint based biometrics has primarily been used to secure entry devices for building door locks and computer network access. A small number of banks use fingerprint readers for authorization at ATMs. Grocery stores are experimenting with a fingerprint scan checkout that automatically recognizes and bills a registered user's credit card or debit account. More recent applications of finger recognition include use of fingerprints for administering drugs and controlled substances to patients.

Advantages of using Finger Recognition

• Fairly small storage space is required for the biometric template, reducing the size of the database required.
• It is one of the most developed biometrics, with more history, research, and design.
• Each and every fingerprint including all the fingers are unique, even identical twins have different fingerprints.
• Sound potential for forensic use as most of the countries have existing fingerprint databases.
• Relatively inexpensive and offers very high levels of accuracy.