Bio-metric technology

Bio-metric technology and how it is pushing the frontiers of technology

In order to know about the role of Bio-metrics in our daily lives, one must know what actually ‘Bio-metrics’ mean. As the name itself suggests Bio-metrics is made out of two words, ‘metrics’ referring to characteristics of human here where human is related to ‘bio’. It is also referred to as ‘Bio-metric authentication’ or the realistic features’ authentication. In this, the science of computer has a significant role because, the biological features of human beings is converted to a digital form and fed into the computer database. A human being’s biological features that can be used for the conversion to digital data can vary from iris color to fingerprint to voice etc. The only thing that is kept in mind is that the features vary in different human beings. They vary from one human to another, hence there is no similarity and the data fed differ from person to person making this technology unique.

The Bio-metric identification system started in history taking us back to 18^th century. This first started with the fingerprint matching technology for criminal cases that eventually started getting used by firms and industries to identify their employees. Then from just the fingerprints, the technology grew and started using other biological unique features of human for the better control of access, security and solving criminal cases faster.

The reason why this technology is essential is that it uses the biological features that a human inherits and that can never change. This makes the access of any person to a system more secure and safe. This technology is hence used in Banks largely so that there isn’t any theft or betrayal. This is more like an identification system that replaces security guards with the Bio-metric computer databases in order to identify an employee or any person.

Identifications through Bio-metric technology are not limited to just finger prints, iris scan, or voice recognition. It is also the behavior of a human, whose pattern is noted and fed in digital form. There is more than that, this technology can give. As of now the common features that the technology uses are as follows:

Fingerprints
Palms’ veins
Face recognition
DNA
Iris recognition
Hands’ geometry
Retina
Scent or odor of the body
Voice recognition and many more

Through Bio-metric technology, there could be other access methods as well. We unknowingly come across this technology of Bio-metrics daily in our lives. This is how we do so:

We always carry the Aadhaar or UID card with us in our purse. We ensure that we always have it if document or identity verification is required any where anyhow when we go out.
We carry driving license card with us whenever we drive and go out in the city. The license card that we carry was made after we had submitted our fingerprints at the RTO office.
Those of us who travel in metro, the metro card that we carry always gets scanned and then we are allowed access to the platform.
When we reach our office, there is an access gate in which we get our Identity cards (provided by the office) scanned following which only the gate unlocks in order to let us in.
After reaching the office, we take out our Personal Computers or laptops in order to start working and for documentations. Most of the laptops nowadays have a feature in which the log in to the server or the software happens with fingerprints’ scanning or voice recognition.
In England, some of the Schools use bio-metric technology in order to check the attendance of every student in every class of the school. The same is used for the teachers and other employees of the school.
This technology is not limited to organisations, it is even used in Cars and PCs where every instruction is given verbally and the system starts working. For instance, when the user’s voice is recognized by the inbuilt system or software in the care or PC, it switches ‘on’. Then, in order to start the music, the user simply says ‘start mp 3’ and viola the player switches ‘on’!
Airports and railway stations have also started scanning bio-metric features in order to provide access to the passengers. The best example would be that of the International gateway of the airports. When the passenger is travelling abroad, and out of India for instance, he or she simply has to look into a camera in a booth at the gateway that scans the iris and matches it that instance.

With the rapid advancements in technology, there might be much more progress in the field of Bio-metrics as well. You never know, our best ideas and imaginations through Sci-Fi movies might become a reality soon!