Biometric Signature Capture Devices Used for Government
Biometrics is a form of identifying an individual based on physical characteristics such as a fingerprint or iris recognition. The government uses several biometric devices that capture an individual's physical data and analyze it, usually with the help of specialized computer software. A person's physical attributes are then attached to his name and other nonphysical personal data.
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Dynamic Signature
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A dynamic signature device captures not only the image of a person's signature, but it also records how much pressure is applied and records pressure variations throughout the signature. After the signature image is taken, the device will then take measurements between the characters at certain points. Shape and size of the strokes are also taken into account.
Finger and Palm Prints
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Finger and palm prints are scanned and filed into a database. Other pertinent information is linked to the prints and saved. When a print is lifted from a crime scene, the print is compared against others in the database. The computer uses an algorithm to match and compare other prints based on characteristics such as ridges and lines in the palm. The systems used to match prints also have an algorithm to take aging into consideration, because finger prints tend to shift as the skin begins to age and break down.
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Vascular Pattern Recognition
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A method of biometrics that uses the veins in your body, most commonly the hands and fingers, is called vascular pattern recognition. A near-infrared light is emitted onto the body part and is refracted back. The results are similar to that of an X-ray, but without the side effects. Veins in the body have different paths and thicknesses at certain points and everyone's veins are unique to them as are their fingerprints. The refracted image shows these differences, including branching points of the veins.
Iris Recognition
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Similar to that of a fingerprint, iris recognition uses the variations on the colored part of the eye around the pupil -- the iris. With the help of an infrared light shined into the pupil to illuminate the iris, a digital camera takes a picture. A program translates the iris into a specialized code using algorithms. The code is then compared to others for a positive identification.
Speaker Recognition
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When someone speaks, her voice is unique to her. However, the sound of her voice is not the only information that can be gathered when she talks. Pitch, intensity, loudness and duration can also be measured. Microphones capture the voice and software analyzes it. The voice can be visually charted in waves against time and loudness. These wavelengths can then be compared to similar voices and can help narrow down a match.
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References
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