New ID Device Reads Palms

Fujitsu announced recently that it will use its biometric palm vein authentication technology in a public library in Naka city (Ibaraki prefecture, Japan). Fujitsu's contactless palm vein authentication will eliminate the use of library cards.

Naka city was established on Jan. 21, 2005 with the founding principle of creating harmony among nature, the culture of the region, its people and cutting-edge science.

Features of Fujitsu's contactless palm vein authentication technology which were recognized and highly regarded by Naka city include:

• High level of authentication accuracy due to the complexity of vein patterns of the palm
• Difficulty in duplicating palm vein patterns given that the biometric information is internal to the body
• The system is contactless and therefore hygienic for use in public areas.

This sytem neatly solves the problem with palm scanners envisioned by science fiction writer William Gibson in his 1999 novel All Tomorrow's Parties:

Rydell pressed his hand within the outline of a hand. He hated the way that felt. Bad cootie factor with those palm-scan things. Hand grease.
(Read more about palm scan)

Frank Herbert also wrote abut palm identification technology; he created the idea of a palm lock, which used both palm prints and hand geometry for identification purposes. Take a look at the biometric handreader, a real-life invention that uses hand geometry for identification.

Read more at the Palm vein authentication technology press release via WWMNA.

(This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.)

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