Fingerprint readers have revolutionized our very notion of security. These biometric devices are capable of ascertaining one’s identity with impeccable precision based on just fingerprints. The use of fingerprints to determine a person’s identity has long been in use, especially in the field of criminal investigation. However, fingerprint scanners have brought a novelty to this procedure. What used to be a cumbersome and time-consuming process has been simplified drastically, thanks to fingerprint readers that work on the basis of specific fingerprint-matching algorithms?

In fact the worldwide popularity of fingerprint readers can be credited to the uniqueness of fingerprints as biometric characteristics. Fingerprints are the impressions left by the patterns of the ridges of the finger pads of a human being. Fingerprints can be obtained from the finger or the palm of the hand, the toe or the sole of the foot. No two humans – including identical twins – can ever have exactly the same fingerprint. Even two fingers of the same individual fail to produce an identical match. This astonishing uniqueness of fingerprints makes a fingerprint scanner most precise as compared to other biometric equivalents.

Crossmatch Verifier 300, an ANSI-NIST compliant fingerprint reader, comes from the stable of Cross Match, one of the global leaders in fingerprint recognition technology. It is a single fingerprint capturing device that promises to provide more accurate, swift and reliable results in identification, authentication and verification procedures based on fingerprints. A compact size with splash resistant and 10-90% non-condensing features and a weight of 1 pound makes the fingerprint scanner portable. The polycarbonate lexan case makes the scanner sturdy and durable and the operating temperature range of -18 degrees to 40 degrees Celsius makes it easily applicable in rough environments. The cables are well-attached and do not come off due to rough handling. Also, being empowered with an USB interface it is apt for high volume systems. Availability of a kiosk-ready version and cost effectiveness further makes it the preferred choice over many other fingerprint readers.

The image-capturing technology of Crossmatch Verifier 300 is state-of-the-art. The scanner is capable of capturing foolproof high-resolution (500 ppi +/- 1%) images with the help of its patented spherical lenses. It provides an average linearity and rectilinearity of less than 1%. Moreover, the improved illumination system, thanks to the I/R filters that improve light rejection, makes the fingerprint reader deliver forensic-quality images of even marked, stained, or dark fingers. The generous platen area of 1.2″x1.2″ ensures consistent flat fingerprint images.

This fingerprint scanner supports all leading operating systems including Windows XP/Vista/7and supports a wide range of application, viz. fingerprint recognition, fingerprint verification, fingerprint authentication, fingerprint scanning & fingerprint matching applications.

Thanks to the excellent features, Crossmatch Verifier 300 is deemed suitable for innumerable systems in various walks of life—from access control systems at borders, ports, and airports to national ID and registration programs, from hospital patient record verification to children identification, and from desktop enrollments to office attendance record.

Secugen Hamster Plus is a new-age fingerprint scanner from Secugen–one of the world’s largest fingerprint device vendors–that makes fingerprint matching easier and much more convenient. It is a compact and ergonomically designed biometric device that is capable of capturing fingerprint images from any finger, including the thumb. The fingerprint scanner supports a wide range of biometric security applications such as fingerprint recognition, fingerprint verification, fingerprint authentication, fingerprint scanning & fingerprint matching applications.

The hallmarks of this fingerprint reader from Secugen are the Auto-On and Smart Capture features. The Auto-On feature automatically turns on the sensor as soon as it detects a finger in the vicinity. The Secugen sensor is a high-quality, rugged and maintenance-free optical FDU03FRS fingerprint sensor and delivers ultra-precise images of very high resolution (500 dpi + 0.2%). Further, the Smart Capture feature ensures high-quality and distortion-free fingerprint images of 260×300 pixels even from difficult fingers such as dry, moist, scarred, marked, or stained fingers. Non-linear distortion is less than 0.1% and image grayscale is 256 shades (8-bit gray level). It has a generous platen area of 16.1mmx18.2 mm and effective sensing area of 12.7mmx14.9mm. Moreover, the fingerprint reader has an extremely high image capturing speed-0.1 seconds for continuous image capture speed and 0.2 seconds for snapshot image capture speed.

Secugen Hamster Plus is FCC, CE and RoHS certified and at only 100g (without stand) it is easily portable. An operating temperature of 0 to 40 degree Celsius and operating humidity of less than 90% RH makes it usable in rough environments. Moreover, equipped with SEIR fingerprint biometric technology, this fingerprint reader contains a prism that is absolutely resistant to shock, vibration, corrosion and even scratches.

Secugen Hamster Plus features a free Demo application to capture and save fingerprint as an image file and has an integrated finger guide. Thus it is entirely user-friendly. The USB 2.0 interface with a maximum communication speed of 12 mbps ensures quick transfer of data.

The imprints that the patterns of the ridges of the finger pads of a human being make are called fingerprints. They can be of the human hand – the finger or the palm and the foot – the toe or the sole of the foot. Fingerprints are extremely unique in the fact that no two human beings including twins can ever have the same impressions. What is more intriguing is the fact that even two fingers of the same hand of an individual fail to give the exact same 100% match. This is the reason why since time immemorial, fingerprints have been utilized as indisputable evidence to establishing a person’s identity.

Futronic, one of the world’s leading fingerprint vendors has launched the Futronic FS80 data fingerprint scanner which is one of the most sophisticated and reliable USB fingerprint scanners available. The Futronic FS80 captures absolutely distortion-free images having been equipped with the CMOS sensor technology. It is available with infra-red LEDs which provide ample light to scan with perfection and even the intensity of the lights can be adjusted accordingly to obtain a scan of scarred, wet or dry fingers. Besides, it has an extremely accurate image recognition being of the range of FAR-10-6 to FAR-10-2.

What is more amazing about the latest Futronic FS80 Fingerprint Scanner is that it has the power to differentiate even between real and fake fingers. The electronic circuits inbuilt in it aid in the Live Finger Detection technology.

Thus it finds its use in various walks of life. The Futronic Fingerprint Scanner is totally apt to be used at construction sites where it is necessary to keep a watch on the attendance of workers and make their access control more convenient in the busy hours of early morning. By using only one finger printer the working hours of the worker is counted efficiently.

This innovative method allows use of only one fingerprint reader both for IN and OUT purposes thus helping to cut down the cost. Besides there is no push button as well which simplifies things even further.

Iris recognition is the biometric technique which is based on the distortion-free and high-resolution images of the irises of the human eyes. The advantage of using the iris is that it is an internal organ of the human body whose texture remains stable throughout life and thus it serves as an authentic measure of biometric security.

The technique of iris scanning was first propounded by John Daugman at Cambridge University. He developed the IrisCode which has an astonishing false match rate and thus it immediately caught the world’s attention. Subsequently it went on to be adopted as access control systems at many places like hospitals, airports, border security control, schools and other places of high security.

With iris recognition becoming heavily popular, many leading biometric security vendors too decided to launch their own iris scanners. Cross Match which is one the world’s largest fingerprint manufacturers, has launched the Cross Match Iris Scan 2 which promises to deliver rapid mobile enrollment and iris identification to access control systems in high security areas anywhere in the world.

The Cross Match Retinal Scan Two operates absolutely flawlessly in bright sunlight and even in areas of total darkness and even under extreme conditions the quality and resolution of the image remains totally top class. Apart from this the USB-powered handheld scanner complies with ANSI INCITS 379-2004 and also ISO/IEC 19794-6 which guarantee that the images are always bound to be of superb quality.

The Cross Match iris scanner comes with the scan essentials SDK and driver software which aid in pinpointing on the iris and its stabilization along with pupil segmentation and image quality assessment. With its auto capture functionalities the Cross Match Iris Scan 2 is the most advanced iris scanner to have emerged from the house of Cross Match and undoubtedly is sure to take the world by storm.

As mentioned earlier, Cross Match Retinal Scan Two finds applicability in various fields, including hospitals. The iris scanner matches previously recorded scans of doctors, nurses and other hospital staff and thereby serves as a successful measure of access control and security.