HAND GEOMETRY RECOGNITION
How does it work?
Hand geometry as the name suggests uses the shape of the hand to identify/verify the person. Unlike iris, face or fingerprints, the human hand isn't unique. The existing systems use finger length, thickness, and curvature for the purposes of verification but not for identification.
Hand geometry is very reliable when combined with other forms of identification, such as personal identification numbers. Hand geometry data is relatively easier to collect compared to other technologies e.g. for fingerprint collection good frictional skin is required by imaging systems.
Additionally, hand geometry can be easily combined with other biometrics, namely fingerprint. The system has seen good uptake in the construction industry where workers are clocked using hand readers.
Current Applications
Recent applications of hand geometry systems include:
- Used during 1996 Olympic Games where access to and from the Olympic Village was controlled using hand geometry.
- San Francisco International Airport uses hand geometry to restrict access to critical areas.
- Child day care centers use hand geometry systems to verify the identity of parents.
- Use of hand geometry systems to monitor payroll accuracy and access control.
- The Fastgate (INSPASS) pilot program employs hand geometry systems to track border crossings for frequent travelers.
- United States military has been using it for access control.
- Majority of the nuclear power plants in US use hand geometry for access control.
Advantages of using Hand Geometry
- A very small template size, easy to maintain and store large database.
- High reliability and accuracy.
- Robust, user friendly and easy to integrate into existing and third party systems.
- Ideal for rough outdoor environments like construction industry and can handle high throughput of people.
- Relatively inexpensive offers excellent return on investment.
|
