19-03-2011, 03:18 PM
Presented by:
Abhinav Goel.
[attachment=10580]
Definition Of Biometrics
The term is derived from the Greek words “bios” which means life and “metrics” for measure. Biometrics can be defined as the technique of studying physical characteristics of a person such as finger prints, hard geometry, eye structure etc. to establish his or her identity. This science is primarily implemented to identify individuals.
Techniques Used In Identification
Fingerprint Scanning
Retinal Scanning
Iris Scanning
Facial Recognition
Voice Recognition
HISTORY OF BIOMETRICS
Way back to the 1880s, while in Japan, Henry Faulds studied the prints left behind by craftsmen on ancient clay fragments. He then went on to study his own and his colleagues’ fingerprints. This convinced him that each individual had unique fingerprints. A little later, a fellow worker was arrested by the police for a pretty crime. Faulds exonerated the man by showing that the finger prints on the crime scene did not match with those of his friends.
Thus began the journey of the most promising science of identification and recognition: Biometrics. Today, apart from fingerprints, we have discovered facial recognition, DNA, retinal scanning, and voice recognition.
What Is Biometrics?
The term is derived from the Greek word “bios” which means life and “metrics” for measure. Biometrics can be defined as the technique of studying physical characteristics of a person such as finger prints, hard geometry, eye structure etc. to establish his or her identity. This science is primarily implemented to identify individuals.
Need Of Biometrics
The use of biometrics is no longer restricted to define establishment or sensitive areas. An increased need for security has prompted even everybody office goers to install fingerprint recognition devices to boot up their laptops, thumb devices & other daily use gadgets.
The question is, why? Why isn’t the 16-digit password good enough? Simply because fingerprints are more secure. A password is breakable & anyone with basic knowledge of computers can crack password using the myriad free programmes available on the Internet.
But a fingerprint however is difficult to fake without the help of the owner. Secondly it is more convenient to simply place your finger on to a scanner instead of remembering a long & complex series of characters & their cases.
Biometric systems have the potential to identify individuals with a very high degree of certainty. Forensic DNA evidence enjoys a particularly high degree of public trust. Substantical claims are being made is respect of this recognition technology, which has the capacity to discriminate between the individuals with identical DNA.
Working Of Biometric Processes
The concept of biometric verification is simple. The system already has some prestored data. When you approach the system, say a fingerprint scanner, your finger is scanned & matched with a record of fingerprint already in its database. Only when it finds a match access is granted. The concept might be simple, but the process is quite ingenious.
Fingerprint Scanning
Fingerprint is a unique feature to an individual. It stays with the person throughout his or her life. This makes the fingerprint the most reliable kind of personal identification because it can not be forgotter, misplaced or stoles.
A fingerprint is made up of ridges and valleys (lines and gapes separating them) & it is these ridges & valleys which are scanned to verify the authenticity of a print.
The most commonly used method of scanning is optical scanning. An optical scanner has a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor similar to the ones used in digital cameras. There is an array of light sensitive diodes (photosites). When these diodes come in contact with light, they generate an electrical signal. Every photosites record a pixel representing the light it came in contact with.
An analog to digital converter (ADC) system in the scanner processes the electrical signals to generate digital representations of the image. It is not necessary that the same kind of light falls on all diodes. So what is generated is a mix of dark & light areas, which together make up the image. It is not necessary that the same kind of light falls on diodes. So what is generated is a mix of dark and light areas, which together make up the image.
The process begins as soon as you place your finger on the glass plate. The scanner has its own source of light (mostly an array of LEDs) which illuminate the finger & the CCD inside takes a picture of the finger. After that it checks for the integrity of the image in terms of contrast, sharpness & sheer quality.
The system checks the average pixel darkness. If the image is too dark or too light, it is rejected. Exposure settings are then accordingly adjusted and the print rescanned.
If the exposure level is found to be correct, it goes on to check the sharpness of the fingerprint. It does so by analyzing severals straight lines moving horizontally & vertically across the image. If the definition is good, a line running perpendicular to ridges will comprise alternating segments of light and dark pixels. If this is found to be in order, the scanner will compare the fingerprint with those in the database.
Matching of prints is a fairly complex process in itself & is far removed from the super-imposing method commonly shown in films. This is so because smudging (due to scan surface or oily fingers) can make the same print appear different photos. Also, scanning and matching the entire finger consumes a lot of processing power. An individual can even fool a fingerprint detector by using a piece of sticky tape gelatin with an authentic fingerprint on it.
Retinal Scanning
Retinal scanning is rather old in the chronology of technology innovations. For the retina to be scanned, the user looks through s small hole in the scanning device and focuses on a particular point for the time period during which, a low intensity light and a CCD analyse the layer of blood vessels at the back of the eye for matching patterns and then validate the person identity.
This technology is still not in public domain (unlike fingerprint recognition, which is) and is used only to secure highly sensitive security areas.
Unlike fingerprints, there is absolutely no known method of replicating a person’s retina.
Iris Scan
Iris scans, though relating to the eye (like retinal scan) uses a completely different method of identification. The Iris scan is the colored ring surrounding the pupil. The scan analyses the features that exist in this colored tissue.
Over 200 points can be used for comparison such as rings, furrows and freckles. The scan is done with a regular camera and the subject stands about a foot from the lens of the camera.
The Iris pattern is much more unique than a fingerprint. A statistical analysis puts the probability of two irises matching at 1 in 10 to the power 78 while the population of humans on earth is 7 billion that is 7 to the power 9.
Facial Recognition
A Facial recognition system is a computer drives application for automatically identifying a person from a digital image, it does meant by comparing selected facial features in the live image and a facial database.
Fingerprinting and retinal scanning are relatively easy to administer, since the people going through the process are aware of it and are consenting to subject themselves to these measures, the main application of facial recognition is in security where the software is expected to pick a face out of, say, thousands of passengers at the airport, and match it with a database of wanted criminals and positively state whether or not that face belong to the guilty party.
To make the computer recognize a face from a picture or a video feed is quite an achievement in itself, but the bigger achievement is to identify clearly if the face is that of wanted man or not.
If you look in the mirror, or at a persons face for that manner, you will notice that every face has certain characteristics and distinguishable feature, which allows us to differentiate between two people.
The facial recognition software divides the face into 80 nodes, some of common ones being distance between eyes, width of nose, and depth of eye sockets, cheekbones, jaw lines, and the chin. The system generally needs to match between 14-25 nodes in order to obtain a positive ID.
Now, obviously these are a lot of people coming in and out of a place where this system is setup (stadiums, airports etc.).The real challenge is to recognize face instantaneously. To facilitate this, a database is created with the help of an algorithm, which goes through the characteristics of the faces and stores them as a string of numbers. This string is called a face print.
Following are the steps processed by the facial recognition software:-
Face Detection
First of all the camera pans around looking for a face, as it e1ncounters a face, it starts scanning it and than proceeds to identifying the various nodes.
Detection Of Orientation
Once the face is detected, the system determines the size of the head and position. Generally, a face needs to be around 40 degree towards the camera for the system to register and analyse it.
Mapping
The facial image is scaled down to the level of the images in the database and is then rotated and otherwise adjusted to match the formatting of the images in the database.
Encoding
The algorithm then converts the face into a face print based on the pre-defined criteria programmed into the algorithm.
Matching
This new data is then used as a fitter to sort through the database of faces at a very fast speed to find a match.
Since it uses a variety of nodes, simple alternations of the face will not fool it. However, twins might; so the system certainly not infallible.
Voice Recognition
Like fingerprints and face attributes, every person has a unique speech pattern. Voice recognition works by first storing voice pattern and then using them as a database to authenticate a subject.
Voice recognition is often confused with speech recognition, which is technology that converts speech to text and conversion software were needs to go through extensive training by the user before any suitable and acceptable result are obtained.
Voice recognition works by nothing a person’s voice (physical characteristics of the vocal tract, the harmonic and the resonant frequencies) and converts it into an audio file which is known as voice print.
Abhinav Goel.
[attachment=10580]
Definition Of Biometrics
The term is derived from the Greek words “bios” which means life and “metrics” for measure. Biometrics can be defined as the technique of studying physical characteristics of a person such as finger prints, hard geometry, eye structure etc. to establish his or her identity. This science is primarily implemented to identify individuals.
Techniques Used In Identification
Fingerprint Scanning
Retinal Scanning
Iris Scanning
Facial Recognition
Voice Recognition
HISTORY OF BIOMETRICS
Way back to the 1880s, while in Japan, Henry Faulds studied the prints left behind by craftsmen on ancient clay fragments. He then went on to study his own and his colleagues’ fingerprints. This convinced him that each individual had unique fingerprints. A little later, a fellow worker was arrested by the police for a pretty crime. Faulds exonerated the man by showing that the finger prints on the crime scene did not match with those of his friends.
Thus began the journey of the most promising science of identification and recognition: Biometrics. Today, apart from fingerprints, we have discovered facial recognition, DNA, retinal scanning, and voice recognition.
What Is Biometrics?
The term is derived from the Greek word “bios” which means life and “metrics” for measure. Biometrics can be defined as the technique of studying physical characteristics of a person such as finger prints, hard geometry, eye structure etc. to establish his or her identity. This science is primarily implemented to identify individuals.
Need Of Biometrics
The use of biometrics is no longer restricted to define establishment or sensitive areas. An increased need for security has prompted even everybody office goers to install fingerprint recognition devices to boot up their laptops, thumb devices & other daily use gadgets.
The question is, why? Why isn’t the 16-digit password good enough? Simply because fingerprints are more secure. A password is breakable & anyone with basic knowledge of computers can crack password using the myriad free programmes available on the Internet.
But a fingerprint however is difficult to fake without the help of the owner. Secondly it is more convenient to simply place your finger on to a scanner instead of remembering a long & complex series of characters & their cases.
Biometric systems have the potential to identify individuals with a very high degree of certainty. Forensic DNA evidence enjoys a particularly high degree of public trust. Substantical claims are being made is respect of this recognition technology, which has the capacity to discriminate between the individuals with identical DNA.
Working Of Biometric Processes
The concept of biometric verification is simple. The system already has some prestored data. When you approach the system, say a fingerprint scanner, your finger is scanned & matched with a record of fingerprint already in its database. Only when it finds a match access is granted. The concept might be simple, but the process is quite ingenious.
Fingerprint Scanning
Fingerprint is a unique feature to an individual. It stays with the person throughout his or her life. This makes the fingerprint the most reliable kind of personal identification because it can not be forgotter, misplaced or stoles.
A fingerprint is made up of ridges and valleys (lines and gapes separating them) & it is these ridges & valleys which are scanned to verify the authenticity of a print.
The most commonly used method of scanning is optical scanning. An optical scanner has a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor similar to the ones used in digital cameras. There is an array of light sensitive diodes (photosites). When these diodes come in contact with light, they generate an electrical signal. Every photosites record a pixel representing the light it came in contact with.
An analog to digital converter (ADC) system in the scanner processes the electrical signals to generate digital representations of the image. It is not necessary that the same kind of light falls on all diodes. So what is generated is a mix of dark & light areas, which together make up the image. It is not necessary that the same kind of light falls on diodes. So what is generated is a mix of dark and light areas, which together make up the image.
The process begins as soon as you place your finger on the glass plate. The scanner has its own source of light (mostly an array of LEDs) which illuminate the finger & the CCD inside takes a picture of the finger. After that it checks for the integrity of the image in terms of contrast, sharpness & sheer quality.
The system checks the average pixel darkness. If the image is too dark or too light, it is rejected. Exposure settings are then accordingly adjusted and the print rescanned.
If the exposure level is found to be correct, it goes on to check the sharpness of the fingerprint. It does so by analyzing severals straight lines moving horizontally & vertically across the image. If the definition is good, a line running perpendicular to ridges will comprise alternating segments of light and dark pixels. If this is found to be in order, the scanner will compare the fingerprint with those in the database.
Matching of prints is a fairly complex process in itself & is far removed from the super-imposing method commonly shown in films. This is so because smudging (due to scan surface or oily fingers) can make the same print appear different photos. Also, scanning and matching the entire finger consumes a lot of processing power. An individual can even fool a fingerprint detector by using a piece of sticky tape gelatin with an authentic fingerprint on it.
Retinal Scanning
Retinal scanning is rather old in the chronology of technology innovations. For the retina to be scanned, the user looks through s small hole in the scanning device and focuses on a particular point for the time period during which, a low intensity light and a CCD analyse the layer of blood vessels at the back of the eye for matching patterns and then validate the person identity.
This technology is still not in public domain (unlike fingerprint recognition, which is) and is used only to secure highly sensitive security areas.
Unlike fingerprints, there is absolutely no known method of replicating a person’s retina.
Iris Scan
Iris scans, though relating to the eye (like retinal scan) uses a completely different method of identification. The Iris scan is the colored ring surrounding the pupil. The scan analyses the features that exist in this colored tissue.
Over 200 points can be used for comparison such as rings, furrows and freckles. The scan is done with a regular camera and the subject stands about a foot from the lens of the camera.
The Iris pattern is much more unique than a fingerprint. A statistical analysis puts the probability of two irises matching at 1 in 10 to the power 78 while the population of humans on earth is 7 billion that is 7 to the power 9.
Facial Recognition
A Facial recognition system is a computer drives application for automatically identifying a person from a digital image, it does meant by comparing selected facial features in the live image and a facial database.
Fingerprinting and retinal scanning are relatively easy to administer, since the people going through the process are aware of it and are consenting to subject themselves to these measures, the main application of facial recognition is in security where the software is expected to pick a face out of, say, thousands of passengers at the airport, and match it with a database of wanted criminals and positively state whether or not that face belong to the guilty party.
To make the computer recognize a face from a picture or a video feed is quite an achievement in itself, but the bigger achievement is to identify clearly if the face is that of wanted man or not.
If you look in the mirror, or at a persons face for that manner, you will notice that every face has certain characteristics and distinguishable feature, which allows us to differentiate between two people.
The facial recognition software divides the face into 80 nodes, some of common ones being distance between eyes, width of nose, and depth of eye sockets, cheekbones, jaw lines, and the chin. The system generally needs to match between 14-25 nodes in order to obtain a positive ID.
Now, obviously these are a lot of people coming in and out of a place where this system is setup (stadiums, airports etc.).The real challenge is to recognize face instantaneously. To facilitate this, a database is created with the help of an algorithm, which goes through the characteristics of the faces and stores them as a string of numbers. This string is called a face print.
Following are the steps processed by the facial recognition software:-
Face Detection
First of all the camera pans around looking for a face, as it e1ncounters a face, it starts scanning it and than proceeds to identifying the various nodes.
Detection Of Orientation
Once the face is detected, the system determines the size of the head and position. Generally, a face needs to be around 40 degree towards the camera for the system to register and analyse it.
Mapping
The facial image is scaled down to the level of the images in the database and is then rotated and otherwise adjusted to match the formatting of the images in the database.
Encoding
The algorithm then converts the face into a face print based on the pre-defined criteria programmed into the algorithm.
Matching
This new data is then used as a fitter to sort through the database of faces at a very fast speed to find a match.
Since it uses a variety of nodes, simple alternations of the face will not fool it. However, twins might; so the system certainly not infallible.
Voice Recognition
Like fingerprints and face attributes, every person has a unique speech pattern. Voice recognition works by first storing voice pattern and then using them as a database to authenticate a subject.
Voice recognition is often confused with speech recognition, which is technology that converts speech to text and conversion software were needs to go through extensive training by the user before any suitable and acceptable result are obtained.
Voice recognition works by nothing a person’s voice (physical characteristics of the vocal tract, the harmonic and the resonant frequencies) and converts it into an audio file which is known as voice print.
