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To make a quick I.D., play it by ear

Forget retinal scans and face recognition. Future biometrics may entail nothing more intrusive than taking a photo of your ear.

 

Experts at Britain's University of Leicester have developed a high-speed identification system based on the shape and features of that organ, and they found that, like fingerprints, no two ears seem exactly alike.

The university's head of forensic pathology, Professor Guy Rutty, says the software works like fingerprint systems: It compares 14 to 18 points on a photo or imprint of the ear. In the past, ear prints have been matched manually, but this approach is faster and more accurate.

Unlike fingerprints, however, ears can be viewed at a distance. This makes them a good candidate for security applications in airports and other public places. For instance, says Rutty, ears can help identify a person from security camera footage -- and in time, he adds, a global database of ear prints could be built.

The university ran its trial jointly with K9 Forensic Services Ltd. in nearby Northampton. And while only 1,500 ears were scanned, each one, so far, appears to be unique. More testing is scheduled for coming months -- time enough for a cunning criminal to buy a pair of earmuffs

Fuente: BusinessWeek
12/04/2004

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