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Human Ear Could Be Next Biometric System

Posted by timothy on from the whisper-secrets-in-your-ear dept.

narramissic writes "A team of researchers at the University of Southampton, UK, has received funding from the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to learn whether otoacoustic emissions (OAE), the ear-generated sounds that emanate from within the spiral-shaped cochlea in the inner ear, can be used as a viable biometric technology like fingerprints and IRIS recognition. According to a report in New Scientist, someday instead of asking for passwords or pin numbers, a call center or bank would simply use a device on their telephone to produce a brief series of clicks in the recipient's ear to confirm the person is who they say they are." Try faking that with gummy bears.

3 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Re:why do we want this? by Nursie · · Score: 3, Informative

    It does seem an odd one.

    There is a unit at Southampton ECS that investigates a lot of these things. When I was there they were interested in gait recognition, though from the people linked from the page there it seems like this is more in the realm of the electronics side than the computer vision side.

    Even TFS gives a use for it - verify that the person on the other end of the phone is who they say they are. Though I'd be surprised if standard phones would give enough resolution to be able to accurately gauge the biometric. If it even is a useful or reliable biometric.

  2. Re:Gummy bear in my ear! by Red+Flayer · · Score: 5, Informative

    It won't come out! STICKY!!! Thanks timothy.

    Use a straightened fishhook, the barb will make the gummy bear easy to remove. Just be sure to wait until the gummy bear is warm and soft. And insert the hook very gently. And stick the hook through a cork first, to limit the depth it can penetrate -- measure by sticking the hook into the ear until it hits the gummy bear, then add 1/4 inch (about 1/2 cm). THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. The length of hook sticking out of the cork should be distance to gummy bear in ear canal + 1/4 inch.

    If the hook pulls out of the gummy bear, put a piece of ice in the ear, wait until it melts, then try again.

    Or so I've heard (muffled, of course).

    --
    "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  3. Re:Biometrics are great by relguj9 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Meh, that's why biometrics are good for multifactor authentication.

    It just makes it that much harder. You have to have a fake eyeball, fake fingerprint, fake testacles and his password.

    In most cases, I think they are overly complicated for identification. I'm sure there are some places where they are good though.