Biometric ID systems will reduce crime, make shopping a breeze

By Dick Pelletier

      

    In the TV show, Las Vegas, biometric ID cameras spot a card counter, thief, or blacklisted person and a database immediately pops up confirming identification. By the end of the program, all the bad guys are escorted from the casino or arrested.

    Biometric ID technology is advancing at exponential speeds. Every face has landmarks called nodal points – distance between eyes, nose size, cheekbone shape, jaw line, eye sockets, skin folds, wrinkles, and unique iris characteristics. Together these points create a one-of-a-kind "face print" that identifies people with 100% accuracy.

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently performed tests at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta and Detroit Metropolitan airports for the US-VISIT program. Biometric ID systems scanned non-citizens as they departed the U.S. DHS officials hope that this cutting-edge technology will identify potential terrorists and criminals.

    But biometric ID scans are not just for government and law enforcement use; private industry is developing applications for this technology too. ATMs, check-cashing firms, and automated checkout systems can reap benefits with this new ID-recognition system. Retail giants Wall-Mart, Target, Costco, Kroger, and Safeway are all developing systems that they hope will one day create a more enjoyable buying experience for customers.

    Picture this; in the next decade, you enter a store, grab an electronic cart that recognizes your face, toss in some bags and begin shopping. The "smart cart" monitor displays selected products, price, and total spent. As you wind through the aisles, the system recognizes things you might need and offers special discounts. When finished, you select credit, debit; or deposit cash in a nearby machine and walk out the door. No waiting in lines.

    Though this may sound like science-fiction, Albertson's Chicago and Dallas stores are already experimenting with Shop ‘n Scan, a wireless scanner shoppers use to ring up groceries taken from the shelf, which could be a precursor to the scenario described above.

    For as long as people have wandered from home, they have experienced the need to establish their identity. Today, our identity is perhaps our most valued asset; and the way we recognize each other is changing. The fast-growing Internet and increase in global travel, demands better ways to show people that we are who we say we are.

    We will soon be replacing checks, credit cards and PIN numbers with biometric ID systems that recognize us from our eyes, voice, or other personal features. These new systems promise to make us more secure and will end forever our worries over identity theft.

    But privacy mavens express concern of abuse by overaggressive police, eager marketers, and corrupt politicians. However, University of California researchers are developing a solution that will minimize the invasiveness of biometric ID systems. Their invention, called the "respectful camera," hides faces with an oval that can only be removed by officials during a criminal investigation.

    Although controversy may surround this technology, the scales are tipped in favor of putting citizen's safety and convenience first. Positive futurists believe that as we get closer to this "magical future" time, researchers will develop even better solutions to minimize abuse and allow us to reap many more benefits from biometric ID systems.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.