29 MAR, 2011, 04.44AM IST, RITUPARNA CHATTERJEE,ET BUREAU
At the Federal Bureau of Investigation's sprawling campus in Clarksburg, West Virginia, science fiction is coming to life. Working on its biggest investment yet, the FBI is developing the next generation of biometrics that includes 3-D facial imaging and voice recognition. The FBI is one of the many government bodies worldwide shaping the future of the biometrics revolution.
By 2015, the global biometrics market will be worth $11.2 billion, says research firm Markets and Markets (M&M). The catalyst for this revolutionary growth are governments strengthening national security in this digitised age, where multiple virtual identities are common. "Only governments can afford the kind of mega investment needed for pervasive biometric projects," says Olga Raskin, a senior consultant at the International Biometrics Group.
In Afghanistan's Helmand province, US marines are building a biometric database of opium farmers - to create identity cards for security purposes - by using handheld iris-scanners. Larger devices perform retina scans at Dubai airport, for brief transit visas. By next year, every single South African passport will be biometric. In the US, the FBI processes 160,000 to 200,000 fingerprint scans every day. "Developed biometrics are absolutely crucial to national security," says Kimberly Del Greco, chief of the biometric services section at the FBI.
The biggest biometric project of them all is India's mammoth unique identification number programme. India has issued 2 million Aadhaar cards, which are based on fingerprints and iris scans, it will issue 1 million cards every day from October.
A renowned biometrics pioneer, the FBI, has been using DNA in the form of genetic fingerprints since the 1980s to establish guilt or innocence in criminal investigations. A biometric database of about 70 million fingerprints allows the FBI to gauge in 10 minutes or less whether a person has a criminal record or not. The person could be entering or exiting the US, or applying for a school teacher's job.
"We can share biometrics with our international partners," says Del Greco. "It will give both them and the FBI additional search options, and help us curb crime faster." The need, then, is to have a large-scale, international, biometric database for our globalised, terror-plagued world.
"With biometrics, we're looking at a paradigm shift from the West to the East, driven primarily by the population," says Abhigyan Sengupta, senior research manager-semiconductors and electronics, M&M. Asia, Africa and the Middle East will emerge as biometric markets by 2013; some parts there already are. For instance, while most EU nations have had biometric passports for a while, the Middle East, which has drawn flak for terrorism-related activity, is investing heavily in them today.
Even the private sector is using biometric identification, primarily in areas like finance and banking, consumer electronics and healthcare. In Bronx, New York, iris-scans have helped a clinic reduce identification errors of its patients' medical records. In Japan, over 80,000 biometric ATMs use finger vein technology - a relatively rare and less intrusive biometric - for customer access instead of pin codes. These are used by 15 million customers. "Asia has a unique outlook on biometrics," says Raskin.
Accurate identification and reliable search are critical for further pushing the biometric revolution. "The future of biometrics really depends on people catching on. Biometric projects can fall apart if they don't use it," says Raskin. For instance, some years ago, laptops allowed you to log in with finger scans instead of passwords, but added to frustration when they did not work well. "Biometrics have a bit of a bad reputation," says Raskin. "People are averse due to the 'creep factor', as well as privacy and cultural issues. And while people can opt out as consumers, with government bodies, it's not a matter of choice."
By 2015, the global biometrics market will be worth $11.2 billion, says research firm Markets and Markets (M&M). The catalyst for this revolutionary growth are governments strengthening national security in this digitised age, where multiple virtual identities are common. "Only governments can afford the kind of mega investment needed for pervasive biometric projects," says Olga Raskin, a senior consultant at the International Biometrics Group.
In Afghanistan's Helmand province, US marines are building a biometric database of opium farmers - to create identity cards for security purposes - by using handheld iris-scanners. Larger devices perform retina scans at Dubai airport, for brief transit visas. By next year, every single South African passport will be biometric. In the US, the FBI processes 160,000 to 200,000 fingerprint scans every day. "Developed biometrics are absolutely crucial to national security," says Kimberly Del Greco, chief of the biometric services section at the FBI.
The biggest biometric project of them all is India's mammoth unique identification number programme. India has issued 2 million Aadhaar cards, which are based on fingerprints and iris scans, it will issue 1 million cards every day from October.
A renowned biometrics pioneer, the FBI, has been using DNA in the form of genetic fingerprints since the 1980s to establish guilt or innocence in criminal investigations. A biometric database of about 70 million fingerprints allows the FBI to gauge in 10 minutes or less whether a person has a criminal record or not. The person could be entering or exiting the US, or applying for a school teacher's job.
"We can share biometrics with our international partners," says Del Greco. "It will give both them and the FBI additional search options, and help us curb crime faster." The need, then, is to have a large-scale, international, biometric database for our globalised, terror-plagued world.
"With biometrics, we're looking at a paradigm shift from the West to the East, driven primarily by the population," says Abhigyan Sengupta, senior research manager-semiconductors and electronics, M&M. Asia, Africa and the Middle East will emerge as biometric markets by 2013; some parts there already are. For instance, while most EU nations have had biometric passports for a while, the Middle East, which has drawn flak for terrorism-related activity, is investing heavily in them today.
Even the private sector is using biometric identification, primarily in areas like finance and banking, consumer electronics and healthcare. In Bronx, New York, iris-scans have helped a clinic reduce identification errors of its patients' medical records. In Japan, over 80,000 biometric ATMs use finger vein technology - a relatively rare and less intrusive biometric - for customer access instead of pin codes. These are used by 15 million customers. "Asia has a unique outlook on biometrics," says Raskin.
Accurate identification and reliable search are critical for further pushing the biometric revolution. "The future of biometrics really depends on people catching on. Biometric projects can fall apart if they don't use it," says Raskin. For instance, some years ago, laptops allowed you to log in with finger scans instead of passwords, but added to frustration when they did not work well. "Biometrics have a bit of a bad reputation," says Raskin. "People are averse due to the 'creep factor', as well as privacy and cultural issues. And while people can opt out as consumers, with government bodies, it's not a matter of choice."
