Some of readers of this article have certainly had an opportunity of using
so called credit card terminal (through it credit card users can pay in shops or
restaurants). The device possesses a keyboard, display, card reader, eventually a
printer,
is capable of connecting with a bank computer and check solvency of the card's
holder, but
the most importantly it can compare the entered PIN with the reference number encoded in
the card. This is to prevent execution of transactions by unauthorized people. However it
is commonly known that this does not provide too much of an obstacle for greater and
greater number of frauds. Many specialists today are of an opinion that the truly
effective protection could only be a technology allowing an infallible recognition of the
card's holder.
For some time now many firms have been working on this problem. They have
been trying to create devices that could recognize people through analysis of their
voice,
facial features, iris pattern, and primarily fingerprint lines. Especially the latest
possibility seems to be very interesting. Not only because fingerprint lines provide
infallible identification of an individual and do not change over time, but also because
the chances are that the devices required for that could be small and simple in
operation.
There is also some hope that they could not be deceived?
Devices capable of recognizing people certainly have not gained popularity
yet, but even now one can announce beginnings of a new branch of industry called
"biometry." Analysis of situation in this branch is not the purpose of this
article, I only would like to introduce a technology which gives a chance of fulfilling
all and any requirements and even offering much more. For I believe that the devices whose
construction the technology enables will soon become popular - although they will often
remain out of sight. For they can be integrated in many of presently existing items in
such a way that it will be difficult to notice that they have been fitted with new
functions. Their user will not have to worry too much about being recognized - this may
happen to some extend by itself.
This technology has been being developed in a Wrocław's firm Optel and
utilizes ultrasonic waves for analysis of pattern of fingerprint lines on
bulbs.
Researchers of this firm were the first who proposed employment of ultrasonic waves for
this purpose and they showed that those waves serve this purpose particularly
well. For
creation of devices of practical use there were required many years of work. Really
interesting, however, will be the series version of this device whose prototype can be
ready in the second half of the current year.
The device will be comprised of electronics and a normal glass
plate,
which will have to be modified only on the edges and therefore it could be used also for
other purposes. Here there is employed the phenomenon of the sound waves that move in the
plate changing their form when the plate is touched by some object. The changes are
registered and the gathered information facilitates reconstruction of an image of the
object, which has been pressed down on to the plate. Because the numerical procedures that
are utilized there employ ideas taken from holography, it can be said that this device is
a sort of an ultrasonic holographic camera (as the matter of fact the only one of this
kind in the world).
It is easy to notice that such a plate will "see" not only
finger bulbs but also will recognize their location. Thus it can replace a keyboard or
mouse. It can also of course recognize location of e.g. the tip of a pencil and to follow
its movement. Thus it will also facilitate a function of a graphical board enabling
drawing or recognition of handwriting. However this would not suffice for identification
of people - fortunately enough sound waves can both recognize the materials getting in
contact with the plate and penetrate the finger itself. This allows ascertaining the
qualities of the finger: If it is live and not artificial by "seeing" whether
(and how) blood is circulating in it. In such a situation it does not seem as frauds could
be left with any chances ?
As anyone can see the future credit cards terminal could be fitted only
with a "sensitive glass plate" possessing a display on its back and of course
some content of electronics. Also the card reader can be spared its usual wear as
information, which should be read from the card would be placed there in form of a relief.
Thus it could be seen the same way as fingerprint lines could be seen.
"A sensitive plate" could find use also for different purposes -
not only in conjunction with credit cards: Placed at a door it could serve a purpose of an
access control device (although seemingly it would not differ at any extend from a normal
glass pane), it can replace computer keyboards, mice and graphical pads (it could look at
the same time similar to today's touch screens, but there is no obstacle that it could be
used as a table top). In a miniature form it could also serve a function of a button
starting up e.g. a machine only when it is pressed by an authorized person. And if there
are still people for whom those perspectives seem not interesting enough, maybe the use of
this technology in door locks fitted with a handle that would turn only when held be an
authorized person could spark their imagination?
