Entry 06 - Fingerprint Technology

<Fingerprint Technology>

"There is no way of knowing for sure - you would have to check the fingerprints of every living being to be absolutely certain. But at some point in our world history we decided fingerprints were unique and a perfect means for identifying individuals. A way to tell us apart."

Fingerprint verification technology is applied to many circumstances in our life: iPhone, airport, crime scene, door lock and more on. Finger scan is one of the bio-metric technology that can tell each individuals apart. Unless it is damaged, fingerprints stays the same for a life time and therefore it is a scientific and accurate way to recognize people. The fingerprint verification technology is not only cheaper than the other bio-metrics technologies, but it is also faster and more accurate. 

<Relations to Computer Science>

In order to use the fingerprint verification, the user needs to register their fingerprints on the system. The registered fingerprints are stored with their own personal information on data system. Afterwards, when user inputs their fingerprints into the system, the system compares the input data to the previously stored data to verify the user.
Since fingerprint matching is the process used to determine whether two set of fingerprint ridge detail come from the same finger, the algorithms that is called "minutiae matching" is widely used. Minutiae matching is a type of algorithm which multiple points in one image have similar distances between them then multiple points in another image then the points are said to match up. There are more types of algorithms that are used in fingerprint verification technology and the technology is going to be more accurate and intelligent as computer programmers do further researches.

<References>
1. http://www.dw.com/en/fingerprint-forensics-has-a-future-despite-new-technology-and-the-folly-of-humans/a-19515791
2. http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=932299&cid=43667&categoryId=43667