Vein Biometric Home Page

Welcome to the Vein Biometric Home page

Vein biometric systems record subcutaneous Infra Red absorption patterns to produce unique and private identification templates for users. The technology is a vascular "bar" code reader for people! Veins and other subcutaneous features present large, robust, stable and largely hidden patterns. Subcutaneous features can be conveniently imaged within the wrist, palm, and dorsal surfaces of the hand. The technology can be applied to small personal biometric systems e.g. Biowatches and Biokeys and to generic biometric applications including intelligent door handles, door locks etc.

Imaging Applications

Vein pattern IR. grey-scale images are binarized, compressed and stored within a relational database of 2D vein images. Subjects are verified against a reference template in under 200ms providing fast, robust biometric authentication.

Vein Images

grey-scale IR. image of Dorsal Vein Pattern

XOR of two aligned vein images for identification

Images The images displayed above show the progression from a grey-scale IR. vein image through a bianarized vein pattern template to a view of an exclusive OR of two automatically aligned vein images taken from the same individual.

Vein Image Binarization

The Image below shows the effective real time binarization of a grey-scale vein image.

Vein Pattern Advantages

The human vascular structure is a unique & private feature of an individual.
Infra Red absorption patterns are easily compared via optical and DSP techniques.
Identical twins have different and distinct IR absorption patterns.
Uniqueness of vein patterns tested by Cambridge Consultants Ltd.
Veins provide large, robust, stable and hidden biometric features.
Vein patterns are not easily observed, damaged, obscured or changed.
Vein patterns require only low resolution IR. imaging allied to simple image processing.
Vein pattern stability and repeatability requires only simple algorithms for auto identification.
Vein structures provide the opportunity for low cost personal worn and pocket biometric keys.
Biometric Keys (Biokeys & Biowatches) read wrist or hands dorsal vein structures.
Biowatches output encrypted access codes whilst strapped to a recognized non coerced wrist
Biokeys & Biowatches output encrypted access codes ( Cryptographic signatures ) to vehicles, computers, access portals, weapons, firearms etc.
Lost Vehicle Biokeys are not a problem; use any other! Vehicle Biokeys default to transmitting unrecognized patterns as plain text.
Vehicle security/engine management systems will let you in and drive if they recognize your vein pattern.
Biokeys & Biowatches maintain biometric privacy by placing the ownership of the biometric system, data & Crypto keys in the hands of the users.

Biometric Tenets

The indiscriminate and inappropriate application of biometric technologies will enslave us all.
Biometric technologies should be used to provide individuals with enhanced privacy, security, autonomy and convenience.
Users must insist on the application of personal biometric systems, where they own and control their own biometric data.
The implementation of biometric technologies must safeguard the rights and privileges of the individual whilst maintaining the security of the community.
Biometric technologies should not be used as tools to manage, control, marginalize or segregate groups or minorities within the population.

Questions to Ask

Who benefits from the installation of the biometric system?
What safeguards has the supplier and operator taken in securing your biometric data?
What safeguards has the supplier and operator taken in preventing unauthorized access to the biometric transducer or the biometric data stream?
Can the biometric trait be photographed, lifted, stolen or copied?
How secure is the tokenized biometric template from reverse engineering?
How secure and trustworthy are the biometric suppler, operator, their employees and agents ?
Once lost or compromised a biometric trait can never be rehabilitated

Biometric Vulnerabilities

Biometric systems can be tricked and circumvented.
Will the system allow enrolment with something other than the biometric trait?
Will the system detect the slow, purposeful incremental erosion of the biometric trait?
Will systems reject active impersonation attempts?
Can an impostor gain entry or access by mimicking or copying another's biometric trait?
Is the system secure to RF eavesdropping equipment?
Is the system immune to attack with high energy RF and high voltage spikes?
Placing your own or your companies security on a single biometric solution is at best foolhardy.
The application of multiple biometric will help, but a better solution lies in the adoption of integrated security methods.
Security requires vigilance, there are no easy answers or simple solutions.

Open and Closed View Biometrics

Open view biometric traits i.e. traits that can be easily recorded or photographed or are left on every item we touch are likely to come under increasing criminal attack as biometric usage becomes more widespread. Open view biometric traits can be covertly captured and worked on by criminal elements until satisfactory facsimiles are produced to fool or spoof the biometric system. Closed view biometric traits i.e. hidden or internal biometric parameters and certain behavioural traits are more difficult to illicitly capture or reproduce.

The Biowatch an Opportunity

Performance: Biometrics often fail, via rain spattered glasses or fingerprints damaged by
gardening or other DIY activity. The Biowatch overcomes these problems
by recognizing the individual long before any external biometric transaction is
required.

Convenience: The Biowatch can tune itself to reliably and repeatability recognize its owner,
providing essentially fit and forget smart biometric security.

Choice: The user can chose to transmit or not elements of his / her own biometric code
secured by the Biowatches digital signature. The technology places the individual in
control of their own biometric data & systems.

Security 1: The Biowatch is very secure as it integrates three fundamental elements of
security. Something one has. Something one knows, Something one is.

Security 2: The Biowatch extends cheaply the security of biometric access to the users home,
vehicle and personal possessions.

Privacy: Vein patterns are within you, people don't leave them around (like fingerprints) nor
can they be easily observed like Iris patterns or faces. Vein structures are not
easily covertly captured or reproduced like other biometric traits.
service specifically for them. Banks will only pay for biometrics if they stop
customer haemorrhage to competitive banks and credit cards, or biometrics
provides a competitive advantage or a platform to sell customers additional
products and services.

Advantages: Biometric system need to provide tangible and demonstrable advantages;
advantages to the user as well as advantages to the Banks, Building Societies and
Retailers. Tangible benefits in terms of trust, convenience, security, privacy and
extendibility are provided by the Biowatch initiative. The Biowatch not only
provides a convenient means to secure banking, shopping and internet transactions
but it offers the user the opportunity (at low cost) to extend the security and
convenience of biometric access and use to domestic and personal possessions.
Agent network. It securely authenticates the individual to myriad products and services
within the field .home, office or car.
us wish to live in a world where the Government or Big Business can track us
from the cradle to the grave via biometrics. Help shape the future of Biometrics
by campaigning for the civilized implementation of biometric technologies.
Email your MP or Congressional representative regarding the need for Personal
Private Biometric Systems.
Email your bank, watch, phone or computer company, saying these are the
biometric systems you want, need and deserve, systems you will use and buy!

The Future

Biometrics are at last attracting some interest from the worlds major electronic and computer companies. This heralds a move to enhanced biometric interfaces for vehicles, computer networks, security access and payment systems. Biometric authentication will be used to secure future transactions between humans and intelligent machines. Biometrics will provide the key enablers to the generation of private keys in public key cryptography, securing the digital frontier for commerce. Take part in this process by helping and assisting the development of civilised biometric technologies. Technologies that delight rather than blight humanity.

Contacts

License Details Veincheck Products Biometric Consortium Sponsors AFB Biometric Testing Biokeys ? Risc Processors Auditor Computer Security Australian Fans

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