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3-D Light System May Revolutionize Fingerprinting

Posted by kdawson on from the 256-times-10 dept.

coondoggie writes "The US Department of Homeland Security's Science & Technology Directorate recently awarded almost $420,000 to a Kentucky company to further develop a contactless finger print/biometric system. The goal is a machine that can snap 10 fingerprints in high resolution in less than 10 seconds, without human intervention. This goal is beginning to look feasible. FlashScan3D is working with the University of Kentucky's Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments, and has developed a technique called 'structured light illumination' (WIPO patent description), where a pattern of dots or stripes is projected onto a curved or irregular surface."

4 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Touchless fingerprinting? by shadowturtle · · Score: 3, Informative

    Ink? Do they even use that anymore? When I was fingerprinted (for work) they used a scanner.

  2. Structured lighting by Dachannien · · Score: 2, Informative

    Structured lighting techniques are, in general, well known. The question is more whether the specific technique they're claiming is known or not.

  3. standard engineering technique by speedtux · · Score: 2, Informative

    First of all, the patent captures hands, not fingerprints. More importantly, structured light is a standard technique for 3D capture that's in widespread use and has been around for decades. If you want to capture the 3D shape of hands, it's the obvious engineering solution.

  4. "structured light illumination" New? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    structured light illumination is older than the internet. They can't patent it.