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Good bye, keys, hello fingerprint-based biometric identification.
The Finnish company Deltabit Oy is creating awareness of access-control
systems that are replacing traditional keys. A fingerprint
already opens the door to keep-fit rooms, and soon it will
do the same to your own home.
The Tampere-based company Deltabit Oy has been developing
systems and applications based on fingerprint recognition
for more than six years. The basic idea is the keyless concept.
Fingerprint recognition can be used in access control for
opening doors, controlling burglar alarms and supervising
working hours. The only limitations are those set by the imagination.
"Our focus in the field of biometric identification
is on entrance control systems, customer-management systems
and on patient and personal identification systems at hospitals,"
says managing director Jouna Järviö.
A solution for every home
The solutions that Delabit develops are easy to use. Markets
are to be found where strong identification is needed.
"With biometric identification the person to be identified
does not need to carry anything. A mere finger is enough.
Recognition is very easy, quick and reliable. You can't forget
or lose a finger, nor can you lend it to a friend," Järviö
says.
Deltabit is at present developing a simple, one-door biometric
entrance control unit that can be used with low-rise housing,
terraced dwellings and blocks of flats. A keyless solution
that is suitable for every home is expected to be coming onto
the market at the beginning of 2005.
"A recognition system is being designed for libraries
in which a fingerprint will replace the traditional library
card. We're also developing a biometric regular-customer system
for restaurants."
Promising field, little competition
A promising future lies ahead for biometric identifiers.
Yet competition in the field is minimal. In Scandinavia, besides
Deltabit, there is only one other company in the same business.
Companies are focusing on western Europe, the United States
and the Far East. Deltabit's foothold on the market is increasing.
"Awareness of our company, the biometric concept and
our products abroad is shown by ever-increasing and now daily
contacts and offers of cooperation. We're expecting growth
to pick up pace for the next 5 to 10 years at least, if not
longer," Järviö predicts.
"In five to seven years' time biometric identifiers
will be a strong factor alongside present identification.
It's not beyond of the realms of possibility that biometric
identification will replace traditional methods.
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This is how it works
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Reliability of identification is based on numerous
minutiae points taken from a fingerprint.
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In Deltabit's system a finger is pressed lightly
on the identifier, which takes a picture of the
fingerprint.
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The fingerprint identifier picks the points to
be recognized, of which there are dozens, from the
photograph.
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Computer software changes the points into numerical
form by means of an algorithm.
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The numerical response is encrypted, after which
the information goes to a computer.
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The picture of the fingerprint is destroyed. Deltabit's
fingerprint data banks are numerical data banks,
not fingerprint pictures.
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The sensitivity of the identifier can be regulated.
The bigger the data bank, the more the use of a
password with the identifier is recommended.
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The finger used for recognition must be attached
to the owner because the identifier also looks at
the blood circulation and pulse.
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www.deltabit.fi
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