Fingerprint-reading biometric ID systems are becoming more widespread. But they have a serious disadvantage. Unscrupulous thieves armed with a sharp knife need only steal your finger to beat the system.
The Japanese consumer electronics company Sony may have the answer, however, based on the ability of infrared light to penetrate further into the skin than visible light.
The company's biometric system uses an infrared camera to record the unique pattern of capillaries just beneath the skin, which can only be seen when blood is pumping through them. When this blood flow is cut off - when the finger is cleaved from the body, for example - the pattern disappears and the finger can no longer be used for identification. Thumbs up to Sony for this one.
Read the full biometrics patent application
Labels: imaging, security