Fingerprint Recognition

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Fingerprint Recognition

• Michael Squance and Owen Jones

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What is a Fingerprint?

• A fingerprint is an impression of the friction
  ridges of all or any part of the finger.
• Everyone's fingerprints are different!
• Why do we use them?
• Crime Scene Analysis
• Security Systems
• Register Systems

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How is this achieved?

• There are two main technologies used in
  fingerprint recognition
• Pattern/ image based
• Image on image comparison

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• Minutia-based
• Comparison of distinguishing features of a
  fingerprint

But how do we get these into a computer?
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Methods of data capture

• There are three different methods used in this
  process
• Optical
• Ultrasonic
• Capacitance

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Is this effective?

• Fingerprint recognition has been used for 100
  years
• Only a few recorded cases of it being unreliable
• E.g. Stephan Cowans
• Claimed to be 10x more effective than other
  methods e.g. DNA
• We believe its very effective method of
  identification