The term ‘biometrics’ sounds like a futuristic technology used among spies and saboteurs on the big screen. However, it’s far from science fiction, and much more common than you might think. The word biometrics merely relates to the measurement of the biological or physical qualities that are unique to a person. Those measurements can then be used to compare two samples, such as an image of a face, and determine whether or not the two are a match.
Humans have long used individual physical characteristics as a method of identification. In around 29,000 BCE, cavemen used thumbprints to claim ownership of their cave drawings, and Babylonian businessmen used fingerprints as seals on contracts in 1913 BCE, though it wasn’t until the 1700s in Germany that fingerprints’ unique identifiable features were discovered. Over time, early biometrics developed into more complex methods of analysis, such as digital fingerprinting, facial recognition and voice authentication.
FINGERPRINT SCANNING
Since ditching the ink in the 1970s, fingerprint biometrics have become commonplace for identification,
