At airports, identity checks always take time. So why not replace passports with fingerprints?
This was the challenge of Morpho, a Safran group subsidiary, who, this week released the world's first and fastest, contactless, four fingerprint sensor. Presented at the "Global Identity Summit" which was recently held in Tampa, Florida in the United States, a benchmark for biometric identification, this sensor called "Finger On the Fly", is able to check your identity in a jiffy.
Luc Tombal, Director of Security and Transportation Division - Morpho (Safran Group) :
"This is a device, that by using your fingerprints, will allow you to identify yourself very quickly. How ? Simply pass your hand over the sensor and you will be identified in less than a second. The installation of this equipment should reduce waiting times significantly at airports when carrying out your identity check."
If it goes so fast, it's because this sensor photographs fingerprints, then reproduces them three dimensionally for analysis.
The result of four years’ research, this contactless technology reduces not only sensor maintenance, but also reduces the risk of disease transmission through skin contact. Simpler for the user when going through border or airport identity control areas, means it is also safer.
Luc Tombal, Director of Security and Transportation Division - Morpho (Safran Group) :
‘‘You know that no security system is 100% reliable. On the other hand, we are sure of one thing, that our system is more reliable than the equipment currently deployed in the field, which usually uses only one finger, here, we use four fingers at the same time.’’
The great unknown of this innovation is its price. Safran does not communicate its cost, but negotiations with several airports have already begun.
