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      Visualization and Usability Group
    
      
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biometrics-usability-banner
  

**The National Biometric Challenge:**

Focus for Research:*"Biometric Sensors that are easy to use."
	"Biometric systems that have intuitive interfaces for the operators and end users."*
	NSTC, The Executive Office of the President of the United States, August 2006.

**Usability:** The extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use." ISO 9241-11:1998

**NEWS**
			**Upcoming**Introducing the Biometrics and Usability Website from NIST.
				We have launched this website to provide the biometrics and
					usability communities with one location to see the research
					NIST is conducting on the usability of biometrics. With the
					plans for integrating biometrics into many areas of government
					and public life, the importance of usability research has
					increased. We hope this site can broaden the awareness of
					what usability research is and why it is critical to the success of  many biometric programs.
			The affordance of biometric devices
					Usability issues with Personal Identity Verification
					Anthropometrics of alternate biometric collection device orientations
					Usability of Symbols for Biometric Use**DOWNLOAD:**  Usability & Biometrics Ensuring Successful Biometric Systems

**DOCUMENTS**

**Title**
			**Description**Symbols Representing Biometrics in Use
			The development of a symbol to indicate that Biometrics are currently being collected is described.Biometric Symbol Design for the Public: Case Studies in the United States and Four Asian Countries
			This paper internationally evaluated a set a symbols intended for use in biometric systems to help users better understand biometric operations.It's a Matter of Perspective
			How the technological side of biometrics can work together with the User side to create an entire system view.User Centered Design: QCP, A Case Study
			The development of the User Interaction Requirements for the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team serves as a case study of the User Centered Design processAssessing Face Overlay
			This study postulated that additional image quality improvement may be realized by using a face overlay guide for the camera operator to help align the camera. This report describes the laboratory-based, proof-of-concept study that assessed this feature of image capture and its effect.NISTIR 7540, Assessing Face Acquisition
			In this paper, we consider the usability components of the face image capture process that contribute to the relatively high ratio of unusable images collected by United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT).Usability and Biometrics: Ensuring Successful Biometric Systems
			This handbook provides an overview of the user-centered design process and examples of how the process can be applied to the design and development of biometric technology systems.The International Workshop on Usability and Biometrics, June 23-24, 2008
			During this workshop the current issues of Biometric Usability were discussed and future research areas were identified.NISTIR 7504, Usability Testing of Height and Angles of Ten-Print Fingerprint Capture
			The NIST Biometrics Usability group's study was specifically designed to answer the question: Given the current counter heights in US-VISIT facilities, what is the "best" angle to position the fingerprint scanner?A Study of Users with Visual Disabilities and a Fingerprint Process
			This report presents the results of a usability study that examined how persons with visual impairments interact with a fingerprint scannerNIST Contribution to ISO/IEC JTC1 SC27 WG6 Icons, Symbols and Pictograms for use with Biometric Systems
			The following document contains a set of symbols and pictograms to help the general public understand the concepts and procedures for using electronic systems that collect and/or evaluate fingerprints.hfes_height.ppsx

File
                                hfes_height.ppsx
			This study examined the effect of the height of the sensor on the quality and the time required to collect fingerprints. User performance, both fingerprint quality and timing, was impacted by scanner height.hfes_instructions.ppsx

File
                                hfes_instructions.ppsx
			This study examines the effect of instructional modes on user performance. Posters were not as effective in providing instructions to users as video or verbal instructions.height_angle_final_redact.ppsx

File
                                height_angle_final_redact.ppsx
			This presentation describes the DHS requested study of the effects of fingerprint scanner angle at various heights.Usability of Biometrics, It Starts with the User! Biometric Consortium Conference 2007, September 11, 2007
			This is the first track ever at the Biometrics Consortium Conference (2007) that is dedicated to the growing field of research into understanding the unique overlap between biometrics and usability.Usability of Biometric Systems by Mary Theofanos at NIST
			This presentation reviews the human factors and usability components of biometric systems. A video of the presentation and the presentation slides are available. [no longer available on the web]Usability Testing of Ten-Print Fingerprint Capture
			A ten-print capture process was examined n terms of time, differing instructional modes (poster, video, or verbal), and what types of and how many errors are made during the process.Effects of Scanner Height on Fingerprint Capture
			This report presents the results of a study that examined the effect of the height of the sensor on the quality and the time required to collect printsA Taxonomy of Definitions for Usability Studies in Biometrics
			This document describes a taxonomy of definitions for use in usability studies of biometrics.Health and Safety Perceptions of Biometric Devices
			What influences a user's health and safety concerns when they use biometric devices?Human Factors and Usability Interaction of Fingerprint Quality
			The development and testing of a set of usability guidelines for biometric systems that: enhance performance, improve user satisfaction/ acceptance, and provide consistency across biometric system user interfacesBiometric Usability Studies
			Status report of current biometric usability programDoes Habituation Affect Fingerprint Quality?
			Poster: Does habituation affect user's performance and the acquisition of quality prints? How does feedback affect habituation and image quality?Does Habituation Affect Fingerprint Quality?
			Article: Does habituation affect user's performance and the acquisition of quality prints? How does feedback affect habituation and image quality?Portable Biometrics Workshop: Session Interface
			The creation of a biometric database taken at two points in time for each person is described. The goal is to have 10,000 sets of data.

Resources

Fingerprint Home Page
	Department of Homeland Security
	The Biometrics Consortium
	INCITS Technical Committee M1 - Biometrics
	The Usability Professional Association
	Multimodal Biometric Application Resource KitPress Releases

NIST Can Help You 'MBARK' onto Better Biometric Systems, 7/20/2006
	Right Counter Height Can Improve Fingerprint Capture, 1/19/2007
	How Long Does it Take to Take 10 Fingerprints?, 5/30/2007Return to the Visualization & Usability Group
  Information technology, Biometrics and Usability and human factors

    
    Contacts
      
        

Sharon J. Laskowski
    
      
  sharon.laskowski@nist.gov
  (301) 975-4535

Created May 18, 2015, Updated November 15, 2019
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