The imaging interface controls the illumination sequence of the LED light sources and synchronises image acquisition by the digital camera.
The way forward
This should not suggest, of course, that the system is no longer in need of refinement. Seeking every advantage over currently deployed systems, Dr Kumar explained that he has recently been “able to advance 3D fingerprint matching to about seven times faster than our earlier work”. That improvement, achieved by further customising the system’s algorithms, will allow it to address the real-time constraints on portable platforms, such as screening system at border crossings.
With further enhancements in mind, the team is now looking for additional sources of data to feed into the system. “We also want to incorporate our proprietary 3D fingerprint template generation and matching algorithms into 3D fingerprint data generated from other sensors”, Dr Kumar explained. “3D ultrasonic imaging and time-of flight cameras” could be feasible sources, he said.
Given its ultimate practicality,it should be no surprise that the system is ripe for commercialisation. “We have recently received another US patent on this technology and that is further key step for the commercialisation of our algorithms”, Dr Kumar revealed. There has also been interest from industry, with the team receiving a number of proposals for collaborating on the system’s commercialisation. One of those proposals has promisingly come from the world’s largest vendor of biometric solutions.
Dr Kumar explained that “our plan is to license this technology for commercial deployment, and our discussions are now at an advanced stage”. The team intends to accelerate its commercialisation efforts in the near future to establish licencing agreements with suitable vendors and release the system on the market.
A key milestone in biometric technology, the system highlights PolyU’s leading role in developing advanced fingerprinting systems that can deliver more accurate, faster and lower cost results for use in a wide range of civilian and forensic applications. ♦
Research team members: Dr Ajay Kumar (left) and Mr Lin Chen-hao
