Fingervein Scanning
July 26, 2007 by Lauren
We're all familiar with the fairly high-tech fingerprint scanning. More recently, we aren't so pleased with the technology. Say someone wants to break into your print-protected PC. Simple; all they have do is cut off your finger and they're in! That may not be so realistic, but supposedly the MythBusters crew fooled a print scanner with a simple Xerox copy of a fingerprint. I'm not saying it's easy, but we can do better; such is the scientific way.
The new thing now is not fingerprint scanners, but fingervein scanners. Quite obviously, this type of scanner is based on vein recognition within your finger. Hitachi seems to be leading the development way here with their small gadget in which you'd insert a finger to be scanned, as pictured above.
Instead of strictly security, which not everyone utilizes, Hitachi is targeting money. Payment methods are another thing we are constantly trying to minimize, and scanners are really starting to come into play. Rather than scanning a card, one would have their finger scanned to pay (AKA “finger vein money").
This device works by reading the pattern of blood vessels in your finger to verify your identification. It uses infrared LEDs and a special camera to acquire an image of your vein structure. Then, that image is converted into a readable format and sent to the database, where it is verified. Naturally, this method of ID is every bit as unique as a fingerprint or retina (or a snowflake). Being under the skin, it's significantly more difficult to counterfeit.
Apparently, this technology is already in play at Japan's ATMs and computer log-in systems, among other places. To take advantage of this system, you must register your finger vein pattern data with your credit card company. After that, once you've been shopping and are ready to pay, all you'd have to do is scan your finger and be on your way. The expenses are simply charged to the account you've registered with.
This is an admirable approach, in my opinion, that would maximize convenience as well as security. It'd be pretty tricky to lose your vein data or have it stolen. Perhaps this is another step in the promising process of forgetting about credit cards (and the anxiety that comes with them).
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