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Overview
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BIOMETRICS |
| Chinese Precursor |
Possibly the first known example of biometrics in practice was a form of finger printing being used in China in the 14th century, as reported by explorer Joao de Barros. He wrote that the Chinese merchants were stamping children's palm prints and footprints on paper with ink to distinguish the young children from one another. This is one of the earliest known cases of biometrics in use and is still being used today.
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| European Origins |
Elsewhere in the world up until the late 1800s, identification largely relied upon "photographic memory." In the 1890s, an anthropologist and police desk clerk in Paris named Alphonse Bertillon sought to fix the problem of identifying convicted criminals and turned biometrics into a distinct field of study. He developed a method of multiple body measurements which got named after him (Bertillonage). His system was used by police authorities throughout the world, until it quickly faded when it was discovered that some people shared the same measurements and based on the measurements alone, two people could get treated as one.
After the failure of Bertillonage, the police started using finger printing, which was developed by Richard Edward Henry of Scotland Yard, essentially reverting to the same methods used by the Chinese for years.
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| Modern Times |
In the past three decades biometrics has moved from a single method (fingerprinting) to more than ten discreet methods. Companies involved with new methods number in the hundreds and continue to improve their methods as the technology available to them advances. Prices for the harware required continue to fall making systems more feasible for low and mid-level budgets. As the industry grows however, so does the public concern over privacy issues. Laws and regulations continue to be drafted and standards are beginning to be developed. While no other biometric has yet reached the breadth of use of fingerprinting, some are beginning to be used in both legal and business areas.
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| Future |
What will tomorrow bring?
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| SUB AREA |
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