NIST: Right Counter Height Can Improve Fingerprint Capture

January 31, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

Biometric technologies, such as fingerprint readers, are increasingly being used by governments and private industry for a personal identification (ID) that can't easily be forged or stolen. Yet, despite their increased use, little attention has been paid to the human-system interaction these technologies require.

As part of its role under the U.S. Patriot Act, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted a study examining the effect of the work surface height of a fingerprint sensor on the quality and time required to collect prints.

With fingerprint scanners and other imaging devices, for example, user behavior can affect both the quality of the image and the time required to capture it. At present. there are no guidelines for using biometric hardware and software that could lead to improved usability and interaction techniques.

As part of the study, NIST researchers collected five types of fingerprint images from 75 NIST employees, ranging in age from 17 to 67. Images were collected from a "left slap" (all fingers on the left hand except for the thumb), a "right slap" (a left or right thumb) and both thumbs.

Work surface heights varied from 26 inches (660 millimeters (mm)) to 42 inches (1,067 mm). The fingerprint scanner used in the study had a height of 6 inches (152 mm) - the expected height of the next generation of fingerprint scanners to be used in many federal government applications.

Researchers found that participants performed fastest using a work surface height of 36 inches (914 mm), while a height of 26 inches (660 mm) produced the highest image quality. Participants preferred a work surface height of 32 or 36 inches (813 or 914 mm); the 42-inch height was most uncomfortable.

In the study, 76% of the participants preferred starting with their right hands, which also made the process faster. Quality dropped dramatically when thumbprints were taken simultaneously, rather than one at a time.

Results of the study are available in the report, Effects of Scanner Height on Fingerprint Capture (NISTIR 7382), at http://zing.ncsl.nist.gov/biousa/docs/NISTIR-7382-Height%20Study.pdf.

Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).