Security concerns drive biometrics into the mainstream

摘要

Face recognition has become the leading contender for large-population surveillance applications. Traditionally defined as "the statistical analysis of biological observations and human phenomena," the concept of biometrics has been around for centuries. One of the first recorded examples was a form of ink-based hand and foot printing used by Chinese merchants in the 14th century to distinguish young children from one another. In the late 1800s, Alphonse Bertillion developed a method of body measurement to identify criminals who adopted aliases to escape detection. About the same time, Richard Edward Henry of Scotland Yard developed the fingerprinting method still used in law enforcement and forensics. Today the field of biometrics includes several approaches for recording and comparing human characteristics (eye, hand, face, ear, gait, voice, signature) for identification, verification, and analytical purposes (see "Biometrics center looks beyond security applications," p. 98). While biometric applications actually range from law enforcement to the study of biological phenomena, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, have shifted commercial development of this technology to security applications. This trend, which is being echoed globally, has opened up the market for physical biometrics and identity management. According to the International Biometric Group (New York, NY), global biometric revenues are expected to reach