Previously only found in science fiction, biometrics have begun to make an appearance in our daily lives over the past ten years.
In recent years, biometric technology has advanced quickly. Nowadays, we rarely go a day without using some kind of biometric technology. From securely boarding a flight to unlocking your phone and learning the day's weather, There is biometric technology everywhere.
One of the first biometric technologies to be widely used was fingerprint recognition, but today we are witnessing the integration of facial, voice, and iris recognition into daily interactions.
Benefits of biometric technology
One of the main advantages of biometric authentication is convenience. By using a feature that is a part of you rather than a password or PIN that needs to be remembered, you can access a physical location or an online service without having to wait.
The biggest advantage of biometric technologies is security. It is extremely difficult to steal a biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint or iris scan, in contrast to passwords and PINs. Due to the convenience and security offered by biometric technology, it is expected that usage of these security systems will increase over the next few years.
The need for biometric technology has also increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than ever, achieving contactless payments, interactions with ATMs, and access to facilities and services is crucial. The effects of the pandemic will be felt long after a vaccine has been developed, with a change in how each of us interacts with others and with physical contact in general, even after we have COVID-19 under control.
We examine nine of the most prevalent applications of biometrics in daily life as the field of biometric technology develops.
1 : Airport Security
Airports have used biometric technology for a while. Airports all over the world strive to make travelling through airports more seamless.
Since several years ago, some of the world's busiest airports have used biometric technology to confirm travellers' identities, and usage is now spreading more widely.
The first curb-to-gate biometric terminal in the United States was opened by Delta Air Lines in Atlanta's Terminal F in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Security Administration, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
By using face recognition technology, passengers flying on Delta or one of its partner airlines to a foreign country can now check in at the self-service kiosks, drop off their bags at the check-in counters, pass through the TSA checkpoint, and board a flight at any gate on Concourse F.
This new choice makes use of NEC's NeoFace Express, which enables quick identification and in-flight passenger screening, simplifying the airport journey. Airports are one of the biggest users of biometric security systems, and it is anticipated that other types of businesses will adopt them as well.
2 : Law Enforcement
The FBI and Interpol, among other law enforcement organisations, use biometrics extensively in their criminal investigations. For more than 30 years, NEC has provided biometric solutions for identifying criminals to law enforcement agencies all over the world, including those in New Zealand.
According to a Wired article, 117 million Americans' facial recognition data is available to U.S. law enforcement agencies. The UK's Home Office announced a £26 million investment in biometric police innovation. They most frequently employ the following biometric technologies: voice, iris, and fingerprint recognition, as well as gait and facial recognition.
3 : Mobile Access and Authentication
Security for smartphones may be one of the most popular applications for biometric technology. Since Apple was the first to introduce the Touch ID solution, which used fingerprint recognition technology, other biometric technologies such as voice recognition, iris recognition, and facial recognition have been incorporated into mobile phone security.
In order to secure your device or particular applications, such as banking apps, all new mobile phones now incorporate some type of biometric modality. It is anticipated that biometrics will be used in conjunction with conventional password and PIN options as a form of two-factor authentication.
4 : Banking
In order to provide customers with a more seamless experience, the banking industry is one more that has adopted biometrics across a variety of services.
Facial Recognition at ATMs is currently being trialled by Seven Bank in Japan. As an additional layer of security, facial recognition will be used to confirm that the cardholder is the one using the card.
Banks are implementing biometric technology to enhance employee and customer identity management in an effort to combat fraud, boost transaction security, and improve customer convenience as the world's financial institutions become more digitally based.
Additionally, customers are concerned about identity theft and the inconvenience of having to continuously prove their identities. As a result, banks are researching the technology for implementation as more and more customers search for banks that use biometric authentication.
5 : Home Assistants
Voice recognition as a biometric identifier is already commonplace among users of Google Home, Alexa, and Siri. A variety of IoT (Internet of Things) devices, such as lightbulbs, door locks, security cameras, security lights, and more, are compatible with Google Assistant, which runs Google Home and the assistant on Android devices.
Security is crucial when connecting your home assistant to any of these connectable devices, of course. You wouldn't want just anyone in charge of them. Because of this, it's crucial that Google Assistant be able to identify authorised users' voices.
6 : Building Access
Biometric technology is now frequently used to grant access to buildings or specific areas within a building, whether it is your home or your place of business.
When it comes to access control, biometrics offer a number of benefits. When using facial or iris recognition to control access to secure areas within a building, the technology can offer a frictionless entry experience.
The most popular biometric for building access is fingerprint recognition, which gives building managers an additional layer of security. A biometric identifier is much harder to steal than a key, access card, or PIN number, making it a much more secure way to secure buildings.
7 : Schools
On school grounds, biometric technology is already used in the US, UK, Belgium, and other nations. It is a developing technology in the American education sector as well. Biometrics improve security and speed up the enrollment process.
Biometric information is used for tasks like keeping track of attendance, borrowing books from the library, and even paying for meals, in addition to ensuring that only students and authorised adults can enter school buildings. Due to the delicate nature of children and their privacy, schools must obtain complete, written consent from the parents of students before using the system.
The most common biometric method in use in schools is fingerprint recognition technology. Facial recognition, however, can be used to identify "unknowns" who might be on school property or inside school buildings.
8 : Public Transport
Although the use of biometrics in public transport is still in its early stages, there are many potential applications, including security and improving the customer experience.
The largest municipal transit system in North Texas, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), was among the first to use biometric technology. DART equipped its trains with facial recognition technology cameras. These cameras incorporate biometrics for a variety of functions, such as monitoring train capacity, alerting authorities to medical emergencies, and detecting wanted individuals.
Other biometric applications include the use of smart ID cards and smart ticketing to match a person using facial recognition in order to access public transport systems, enabling safer travel and streamlining the ticketing and passenger management processes.
9 : Blood Banks
Identity is crucial when it comes to donating blood. In the past, cards with all the necessary information were given to donors. Today, this information is frequently stored digitally, and donors can access their critical information by using iris or fingerprint recognition.
The use of biometric identifiers eliminates the risk of duplication, data entry issues, and the need to carry national identification cards, making the process more secure as well as improving the customer experience of giving blood.
Summary
Whether we realise it or not, biometrics are becoming more and more crucial to how we perform daily tasks. As time goes on, the use of biometrics will increase, and many of us will use them automatically to access a variety of goods and services that we use on a daily basis.
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