Multispectral Technology Extended to Whole Hand

Quick and complete capture of multiple whole hand characteristics now possible with a single sensor

UKB International Ltd business partner Lumidigm Inc will roll out new technology to take full hand prints at the Biometrics Consortium Technology Expo in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 23-25.

Because the technology is a direct imaging process, all areas of the hand are imaged, easily and quickly, with no special preparation or configuration of the hand. This characteristic permits the operator to easily and quickly capture all of the available biometric data.

A further advantage of Lumidigm's whole hand technology is that it is capable of capturing the thumbprint, four fingerprints and a palmprint all with a single placement of the user's hand on a single sensor. These prints may then be compared to data contained in a variety of standard biometric databases for a wide range of military and forensic applications. The same multispectral technology can also be implemented as a physical access device that can perform multibiometric matching to provide an extremely high level of accuracy and performance, enabling true single-factor 1:N security applications.

The broader print can provide much greater accuracy for a range of military and commercial applications, said Lumidigm Chief Technology Officer Rob Rowe. It also can be used for highly accurate screening to provide physical access to secure installations.

Lumidigm developed the new device in response to a U.S. Army request for a multi-modal biometrics system. A portable form factor is planned for deployment in the field by government and commercial partners and could be available in early 2010.

“Our robust multispectral imaging technology is a natural fit for whole-hand biometrics,” Rowe said. “The ability of our technology to perform under conditions where other technologies fail is precisely what makes a multispectral whole hand sensor of significant interest to the Army.”

UKB International Sales Director Steve Barnard said “This is an exciting advance in biometric technology and once again sets an industry benchmark. We will work closely with Lumidigm over the coming months to identify commercial opportunities for the system”.