Hand Geometry
Introduction
Hand geometry recognition is the longest implemented biometric
type, debuting in the market in the late 1980s. The systems are
widely implemented for their ease of use, public acceptance, and
integration capabilities. One of the shortcomings of the hand
geometry characteristic is that it is not highly unique, limiting the
applications of the hand geometry system to verification tasks
only.
History
Hand geometry systems have the longest implementation history
of all biometric modalities. David Sidlauskas developed and
patented the hand geometry concept in 19851 and the first
commercial hand geometry recognition systems became available
the next year.2 The 1996 Olympic Games implemented hand
geometry systems to control and protect physical access to the
Olympic Village.2 Many companies implement hand geometry
systems in parallel with time clocks for time and attendance
purposes. Walt Disney World has used a similar "finger" geometry
technology system for several years to expedite and facilitate
entrance to the park and to identify guests as season ticket
holders to prevent season ticket fraud.3
Approach
The devices use a simple concept of measuring and recording the
length, width, thickness, and surface area of an individual’s hand
while guided on a plate (Figure 1). Hand geometry systems use a
camera to capture a silhouette image of the hand (Figure 2).
The hand of the subject is placed on the plate,
palm down, and guided by five pegs that sense
when the hand is in place.
Figure 1: Bottom View.4
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Hand Geometry
The resulting data capture by a Charge-Coupled
Device (CCD) camera of the top view of the hand
including example distance measurements.
Figure 2: Silhouette of Hand Image.4
The image captures both the top surface of the hand and a side
image that is captured using an angled mirror (Figure 3). Upon
capture of the silhouette image, 31,000 points are analyzed and
90 measurements are taken; the measurements range from the
length of the fingers, to the distance between knuckles, to the
height or thickness of the hand and fingers (Figure 4).2 This
information is stored in nine bytes of data, an extremely low
number compared to the storage needs of other biometric
systems.2
Figure 3: Hand Including Mirror Figure 4: Example Distance
Image as Seen by the CCD Camera.5 Measurements.5
The enrollment process of a hand geometry system typically
requires the capture of three sequential images of the hand,
which are evaluated and measured to create a template of the
user’s characteristics. Upon the submission of a claim, the system
recalls the template associated with that identity; the claimant
places his/her hand on the plate; and the system captures an
image and creates a verification template to compare to the
template developed upon enrollment. A similarity score is
produced and, based on the threshold of the system, the claim is
either accepted or rejected.
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Hand Geometry
United States Government Evaluations
The US government has sponsored two evaluations of hand
geometry technology. The 1996 Evaluation of the INSPASS Hand
Geometry Data determined the effect of a threshold on system
operation6, established false accept and false reject rates as a
function of the threshold, and presented an estimate of the
Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve for the INSPASS
system.6 The evaluators noted that an estimate was the best that
could be achieved with the available data.6 A 1991 Performance
Evaluation of Biometric Identification Devices evaluated the
relative performance of multiple biometric devices, including
hand geometry.7
Standards Overview
Standards development efforts focusing on hand geometry
technology, on both the national and international levels, are
intended to accelerate the development of interoperable
authentication-based security solutions. ANSI INCITS 396-2005
Hand Geometry Interchange Format defines the data interchange
format for storing, recording, and transmitting hand geometry
information collected from the hand silhouette.8 It defines both
content and format of the data for exchange as well as the units
used for the measurement of the hand geometry data.8 This
national standard corresponds to ISO/IEC CD (Committee Draft)
19794-10 Biometric Interchange Format – Part 10, Hand Geometry
Silhouette Data on the international standards level (ISO/IEC).9
The international standard is still in draft format and has not yet
been approved as an official standard.
Summary
Hand geometry recognition systems are widely used for
applications in physical access, attendance tracking, and personal
verification. They have found a sustainable market niche through
use in security and accountability applications. Their ease of use,
stand-alone capabilities, and small data requirements make them
a popular choice for those in need of verification systems.
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Document References
1
United States Patent and Trademark Office, “Patent 4,736,203:
3D hand profile identification apparatus,” 5 April 1988 >.
2
IR Recognition Systems <http://recogsys.com/index.shtml>.
3
“Finger Scanning at Disney Parks Causes Concern,” 15 July 2005
<http://www.local6.com/news/4724689/detail.html>.
4
“Hand Geometry and Handwriting,” GlobalSecurity.org 27 April
2005
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/systems/hand.htm>.
5
Arun Ross, Anil Jain, and Sharat Pankanti, “A Hand Geometry-
Based Verification System”
<http://biometrics.cse.msu.edu/hand_proto.html>.
6
James Wayman, ed., “National Biometric Test Center Collected
Works,” San Jose State University, August 2000
<http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/biometrics/nbtccw.pdf>.
7
James Holmes, Larry Wright, and Russell Maxwell, “A
Performance Evaluation of Biometric Identification Devices,”
Sandia National Laboratories, June 1991
<http://infoserve.sandia.gov/cgi-bin/techlib/access-
control.pl/1991/910276.pdf>.
8
“Information Technology – Hand Geometry Format for Data
Interchange,” ANSI INCITS 396-2005
<http://www.ncits.org/scopes/1643.htm>.
9
“Information Technology - Biometric data interchange formats –
Part 10: Hand Geometry Silhouette Data,” ISO/IEC CD 19794-10
<http://www.ncits.org>.
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