You are about to become your hand.
Carnegie Mellon University’s Laboratory for International Data Privacy, also known as the Data Privacy Lab, has developed security technology that may soon change the way travelers enter foreign countries, forensic scientists investigate crime and terrorist scenes and the way you wave to friends.
With a flash of the front of your hand—the fingers, thumb and palm—the HandShot ID System captures an imprint that provides unmistakable proof of one’s identity, a technology that may boost criminal investigations and help make the world a safer place.
HandShot has evolved through 12 prototypes since 2004, from an enclosure where the hand enters without touching anything to waving your hand in front of a camera on a laptop or mobile phone.
The enclosed version of HandShot uses 36 cameras mounted on an arc to digitally photograph the fronts and sides of the hand. In addition to providing more detailed information to investigators, the high resolution 3-D prints are captured without anyone touching anything, eliminating the need to constantly clean the device, says Latanya Sweeney, director of the Data Privacy Lab. Versions of the software can work with over-the-counter cameras, laptops and mobile phones.
“There’s a desire to encode biometrics about people,” explains Sweeney, whose work has captured the attention of the FBI. “Will fingerprints be the next social security number? One of the concerns of the Data Privacy Lab is how can we help society move in this direction to reap potential benefits while still protecting privacy.”
HandShot received a $1.5 million investment from the National Institute of Justice in 2005 to develop the technology. The spinout company, HandShot LLC, hopes to have a commercial product ready in the next two years, says Sweeney.
Writer:Debra Smit
Source: Latanya Sweeney, Carnegie Mellon University