Vein Patterns to Verify Identity

JonN writes "Fujitsu Ltd. will start selling a biometric security device next month that relies on vein patterns in the hand to verify a user's identity, it said today. The palm-vein detector contains a camera that takes a picture of the palm of a user's hand. The image is then matched against a database as a means of verification. The camera works in the near-infrared range so veins present under the skin are visible, and a proprietary algorithm is used to help confirm identity. The system takes into account identifying features such as the number of veins, their position and the points at which they cross."

Comments

Modern medicine is based on the idea of sameness

[Dancin_Santa]

While some factors, both genetic and external, may lead to the divergence of form in venal positioning and number, the chance that two people have similar (if not identical) veinous patterns is not small.

Medicine is based on the supposition that human beings are, at a very basic level, extremely similar to each other. This allows us to give generalized prescriptions instead of having to perform meticulous measuring and experimentation to determine the correct level of drugs to give to a person.

Even Da Vinci noticed that many measurements of human bones were precisely measurable using the Golden Ratio. Humans, and most of Nature, is perfectly balanced so as to result in a great homogeneity across the species. Even in our day-to-day life we sometimes encounter "spitting images" of people we know. Some even make a living impersonating famous people.

I find it worrisome that the verification of something as personal and important as someone's identity is based on something as common and repeatable as the pattern and layout of veins.

In short...

[eznihm]

This is somewhat novel and cool because:

a) there need not be any physical contact twixt the biometric reader and the individual - unlike with fingerprint scanners - defintely more hygenic

b) as a previous poster mentioned, it doesn't work if the hand is severed

c) fingerprints may be scarred, burned, or otherwise mutilated

I mean, if you're gonna put people through biometric authentication, you might as well do it right, right?

Veins not very constant

[theufo]

It is not uncommon for the smaller bloodvessels to simply disappear and appear over time to facilitate changes in energy consumption. A tiny inflammation can also cause the surrounding vessels to change themselves quite significantly. Wouldn't want to be denied my own money suddenly.

Re:Anybody else see "Demolition Man"?

[Blastrogath]

>Or they just force your ass over to the scanner with a gun to your head, Solid Snake style.

they can do that with a password, or keys, or almost anything else. I can't immediately think of anything that doesn't work with, other than well armed guards willing to perforate the hostage.

Wont work

[tanveer1979]

When you are alive, your veins are full of blood. When somebody cuts your hand, it will change the impression. So the test will fail. The best method will be to combine this with a scanner which detects blood flow. No blood flow and it means its a fake hand :).

Re:Biometric security idea of the week.

[__aaijsn7246]

There has been some work to prevent the use of fake fingers in biometric devices. One I have read about is checking the resistance of the object placed on the scanner to be sure it matches the known resistance of skin. Resistance can be forged of course, but it is an extra layer in the system.

Some systems have been so weak that you can simply breatheon them to cause moisture condensation - which in turn causes the device to believe the last finger has been placed on it again!

Re:Anybody else see "Demolition Man"?

[Peyna]

Getting someone's live hand over a scanner doesn't require a person to consciously divulge any information.

So, it is a lot different than getting a password out of someone. I can beat you all day and you'll never tell me the password. I can knock you unconscious and drag your limp body over to the scanner and place your hand on it without your help.

Re:Anybody else see "Demolition Man"?

[Bimo_Dude]

an infrared vein scanner that works entirely by imaging the heat given off by your circulating blood

Infrared uses a different part of the spectrum; you're thinking of thermal imaging. Taken from this article, this is how the Contactless Palm Vein Authentication System works:
"It works using infrared light to scan for hemoglobin, which provides oxygen to cells in the body, the company said. Reduced hemoglobin absorbs near-infrared rays, so on the image it shows up as black, with the rest of the hand colored white."

There is a pretty interesting sample image in the article too.