Lights And Stripes, And The Future Of Fingerprinting

Most of us have seen fingerprinting in the movies or on TV. We're familiar with the ink-stained fingers, and a gloved technician rolling the subject's fingertips onto a card. Take a look at forensic training materials and you'll learn that taking fingerprints is a delicate process. Indeed, the FBI's fingerprinting training materials include detailed instructions on how to fingerprint an individual, guidelines for the appropriate tools, proper technique, and several examples of unacceptable fingerprints.

Modern live scan technologies complement the traditional ink method. Live scan methods use the same technique as the ink method: a technician or operator rolls a subject's finger from the edge of the nail to the other across a glass plate instead of an inkpad. But whether the prints are taken on paper or glass, the process is very cumbersome and time consuming. "These live scan technologies require 5-10 minutes on average to enroll a single person," explains Dr. Laurence Hassebrook, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Kentucky (UK). But users of live scan machines have a more serious issue. "We've heard anecdotal evidence that the glass distorts the image," says Hassebrook's colleague Dr. Daniel Lau, also Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UK.

As far as the authorities are concerned, a solution is needed...