Biometric Applications

Biometric techniques are providing a highly-secured identification and personal verification solutions thereby providing a robust solution to many challenging problems in security. The collection of Biometric characteristics is done using a device called a sensor used to acquire the data needed for verification or identification and to convert the data to a digital code. Among various devices, digital cameras can be used for face recognition, ear recognition etc or a telephone for voice recognition etc. A biometric system operates in verification mode or identification mode. In verification mode the system validation of a person identity is performed by comparing the captured biometric data with the biometric template stored in the database and is mainly used for positive recognition.
Applications:

Health Care:
The applications in this sector includes the use of biometrics to identify or verify the identity of individuals interacting with a health-care entity or acting in the capacity of health-care employee or professional. The main aim of biometrics is to prevent fraud, protect the patient information and control the sell of pharmaceutical products. Some typical application are:

* PC/Network Access - the biometrics are used to control a secure access of the employees to the hospital network, primarily, in order to protect the patient information.
* Access to personal information - Using biometrics, the medical patient information maybe stored on smart card or secure networks, this will enable the access of the patients to their personal information.

* Patient identification - In case of emergency, when a patient does not have identification document and is unable no communicate, biometric identification may be a good alternative to identify.


Travel and Immigration:
The application in this sector includes the use of biometrics to identify or verify the identity of individual interacting during the course of travel, with a travel or immigration entity or acting in the capacity of travel or immigration employee. Typical application are:

* Air travel - In many airport are already used a biometric system in order to reduce the inspection processing time for authorized travelers.
* Border crossing - The use of biometrics to control the travelers crossing the national or state border is increasing, specially in regions with high volume of travelers or illegal immigrants.

* Passports - Some country already issues passports with biometric information on a barcode or smart chips. The use of biometrics prevent the emission of multiple passports for the same person and also facilitates the identification at the airports and border controls.