A Technology Overview

Abstract

Biometrics are not new and, in this chapter, we trace the development of the idea of using anatomical and/or behavioural traits as personal identity verifiers, from ancient times, through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, to the present time. The pioneering work of Alphonse Bertillon, Francis Galton, Juan Vucetich and others transformed identity verification for law enforcement purposes, but it was the electronic age which perhaps brought the larger transformation in the form of automated identity verification and, with computers, the ability to search through large databases of biometrics. This chapter provides an overview of the different types of biometrics, noting the potential advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques, while also exploring the primary application areas, their particular requirements and how we have utilised the technology within them. The fundamental operational principles of biometric identity verification are also explained, providing a background to concepts which will be explored in subsequent chapters.