With the threat of digital security breaches becoming increasingly more prevalent in today’s society, the need for protective technologies is at an all-time high. Consumers and companies want their identities, assets, and information safeguarded from internet hackers and transactional fraud through personal verification technologies. More traditional security methods like PIN verification, text passwords, or personal security methods are becoming more susceptible to breaches. Biometric security systems are much more difficult to hack; therefore, more businesses and consumers are looking to update their security systems with biometrics. This is where biometric sensors come into play.
Biometrics analyze unique biological attributes and characteristics to verify the identity of an individual. This method of verification is gaining popularity because it is known to be fast and reliable. Biometric sensors are essential to the function of biometric devices and other identification technology. At the minimum, modern biometric devices require a high-definition camera or a microphone for either facial recognition or voice analyzation. Some systems are more advanced, requiring scanners that can detect patterns in a person’s iris, fingerprints, hand geometry, or other intricate details.
This technology may seem modern, but biometric verification has been around since the 1800s with the use of Bertillonage. Bertillonage measured and recorded the size and shape of particular body parts as well as unique signifiers, such as tattoos and birthmarks. The Bertillonage method was the main system used in criminal identification throughout the 19th century. In the current times, biometrics are most commonly used in tech devices.
Biometric-based verification applications in tech and electronic devices include, but are not limited to:
- Network and domain access, locally or remotely
- Sign-in or log-on authentication
- Data protection, in both transaction and web security
- Facial, optical/ophthalmic, vocal, and textural (usually in terms of skin, fingerprints) recognition
Modern biometric scanners have become an integral part of common consumer electronics. Biometric technology can be found in personal electronics, consumer convenience equipment, medical devices, security systems, and more. Most consumers use biometric scanners every day when they open their smartphones. In 2020, it is projected that more than one billion of all smartphones shipped worldwide will include fingerprint sensors and/or facial recognition scanners incorporated in as a way for users to unlock the devices.
However, biometric sensors and biometric screening devices are incredibly wide-spread in almost every industry. For example, in the travel industry, biometric scanning technology has recently been incorporated into many international airports to verify the identity of passengers. In September of 2018, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency installed facial-recognition systems in the top 20 airports. These biometric scanning machines are used, in conjunction with passport photo data, to identify passengers traveling to and from the country. Experts predict that as early as October of next year, these biometric scanning systems could be in place in the majority of American airports.
On the other end of the travel and transportation spectrum, at the end of last year, Hertz introduced biometric screening to the rental car industry. Hertz partnered up with the company Clear, the maker of the majority of airport biometric screening systems, to create a system that would quicken the rental car pick-up process. Hertz is the first rental car company to use the technology.
As biometric screening becomes commonplace in everyday life, the demand for biometric sensors will increase. As a sourcing solution partner, Sensible Micro has the ability to find the components you need. Whether you’re looking for sensors, transducers or other components for a biometrics device, we can help.
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