A Fingerprint Scanner is a type of electronic security system that uses fingerprints for biometric authentication to provide users with access to information or to confirm a transaction.
Even in the recent past, it seemed to us that scanners were something fantastic. The engineering industry’s development does not stand still, and today fingerprint scanners are becoming so commonplace that almost everyone uses them. Human fingerprints are unique, which is why they are successfully used to identify people. Law enforcement agencies are not alone in collecting and maintaining fingerprint databases. Many professions requiring licensing or certification (e.g. financial advisors, stockbrokers, real estate agents, teachers, doctors/nurses, security guards, contractors, etc.) require fingerprints as a working condition. More and more inventions have begun to use fingerprint scanners as another (optional) security feature for mobile devices. Fingerprint scanners are one of the latest inventions in an ever-growing list – pin codes, pattern codes, passwords, face recognition, location detection, voice recognition, reliable Bluetooth / NFC connection – ways to lock and unlock smartphones.
Why use a fingerprint scanner?
Many take advantages of this for safety, convenience, and a futuristic feel. Fingerprint scanners work by capturing a sketch on a finger. The recorded data then have to process by the device’s patch analysis/matching software, which compares it to the list of recorded fingerprints in the file. A successful match means the identity has been verified, thereby granting access.
The method for capturing fingerprint data depends on the type of scanner you are using:
- Optical Sensor: These types of scanners make a photocopy of the finger. Many people also light up their finger to provide clear line contrast, as a light-sensitive reader records information to create a digital image. Many computer fingerprint scanners use optical sensors.
- The sensor uses all of this data to print your prints accurately. Most smartphones with fingerprint scanners facility use capacitive sensors.
- Ultrasonic Sensor: Like bats and dolphins use echo-locating to find and identify objects, ultrasound scanners work through sound waves. The device is designed to send ultrasonic pulses and measure the number of bounces back. Finger’s ridges and valleys pattern reflect sound differently, namely, as ultrasonic readers can generate a detailed 3 D -card fingerprint. Ultrasonic sensors are now being prototyped (e.g. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. ) and tested for mobile devices.
Fingerprint analysis
There are more than a hundred different characteristics by which we can identify a finger pattern. Fingerprint analysis boils down to plotting points where the ridges of the pattern end abruptly and develop into two branches (and a direction). Fingerprint scanners include all of these data points in templates that are used whenever biometric authentication is required. More collected data helps ensure greater accuracy (and speed) when comparing large numbers of prints. Daily life fingerprint reader producer Motorola Atrix became the first smart cell phone to include a fingerprint scanner back in 2011. Since then, many other smartphones have included this feature. For example, Apple iPhone 6S, model, Apple iPad, Apple iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S5, Huawei Honor 6X, HuaweiHonor 8 PRO, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5 and Google Pixel. Even more Android mobile devices will likely have a fingerprint scanner in the future, especially since you can already find them in many everyday objects.
There are many options for fingerprint scanning that are already integrated into some laptop models when it comes to PC security. Most devices you can purchase separately are connected using a USB cable and compatible with almost all operating systems. Some devices are closer in shape and size to USB flash drives. Some USB devices already have a built-in fingerprint scanner. You can now see biometric door locks with built-in fingerprint scanners and touch-sensitive keypads for manual password entry. Biometric Car Starter Kits add an extra layer of safety to the owner. There are also safes and padlocks with fingerprint readers. All kinds of organizations, companies, public facilities, for example, parks such as Walt Disney World, at the entrance to which these devices are installed to prevent ticket fraud.
The use of biometrics in everyday life will grow as manufacturers develop new (and more affordable) ways to introduce technology into modern gadgets. For example, to authenticate a user, the Amazon Echo speaker uses voice recognition software. Other speakers like Ultimate Ears Boom 2 and Megaboom have integrated Alexa voice recognition via firmware updates.
Using fingerprints for biometric authentication is quite often discussed – humanity argues about high risks and significant benefits in equal measure. Therefore, before you start using the latest smartphone with a fingerprint reader, you can weigh the pros and cons.
Pros of using fingerprint scanners:
- Quick and easy one-finger access to unlock your device.
- A great way to identify unique people.
- Extremely difficult to counterfeit / duplicate (compared to ID/access cards, etc.).
- Almost impossible to guess/hack (compared to pin codes, passwords, etc.).
- You cannot forget your fingerprint (as you could with passwords, codes, templates, access cards, etc.).