Biometric device
A biometric device is a security identification and authentication device. Such devices use automated methods of verifying or recognising the identity of a living person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic. These characteristics include fingerprints, facial images, iris and voice recognition. History. Biometric devices have been in use for thousands of years. Non-automated biometric devices have in use since 500 BC, when ancient Babylonians would sign their business transactions by pressing their fingertips into clay tablets. Automation in biometric devices was first seen in the 1960s. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1960s, introduced  the Indentimat, which started checking for fingerprints to maintain criminal records. The first systems measured the shape of the hand and the length of the fingers. Although discontinued in the 1980s, the system set a precedent for future Biometric Devices. Subgroups. The characteristic of the human body is used to access information by the users. According to these characteristics, the sub-divided groups are: Uses. Workplace. Biometrics are being used to establish better and accessible records of the hour's employee's work. With the increase in "Buddy Punching" (a case where employees clocked out coworkers and fraudulently inflated their  work hours) employers have looked towards new technology like fingerprint recognition to reduce such fraud. Additionally, employers are also faced with the task of proper collection of data such as entry and exit times. Biometric devices make for largely fool proof and reliable ways of enabling to collect data as employees have to be present to enter biometric details which are unique to them. Immigration. As the demand for air travel grows and more people travel, modern-day airports have to implement technology in such a way that there are no long queues. Biometrics are being implemented in more and  more airports as they enable quick recognition of passengers and hence lead to lower volume of people standing in queues. One such example is of the Dubai International Airport which plans to make immigration counters a relic of the past as they implement IRIS on the move technology (IOM) which should help the seamless departures and arrivals of passengers at the airport. Handheld and personal devices. Fingerprint sensors can be found on mobile devices. The fingerprint sensor is used to unlock the device and authorize actions, like money and file transfers, for example. It can be used to prevent a  device from being used by an unauthorized person. Present day biometric devices. Personal signature verification systems. This is one of the most highly recognised and acceptable biometrics in corporate surroundings. This verification has been taken one step further by capturing the signature while taking into account many parameters revolving around this like the pressure applied while signing, the speed of the hand movement and the angle made between the surface and the pen used to make the signature. This system also has the ability to learn from users as signature styles vary for the same user. Hence by taking a  sample of data, this system is able to increase its own accuracy. Iris recognition system. Iris recognition involves the device scanning the pupil of the subject and then cross referencing that to data stored on the database. It is one of the most secure forms of authentication, as while fingerprints can be left behind on surfaces, iris prints are extremely hard to be stolen. Iris recognition is widely applied by organisations dealing with the masses, one being the Aadhaar identification carried out by the Government of India to keep records of its population. The reason for this is that iris  recognition makes use of iris prints of humans, which hardly evolve during one's lifetime and are extremely stable. Problems with present day biometric devices. Biometric spoofing. Biometric spoofing is a method of fooling a biometric identification management system, where a counterfeit mold is presented in front of the biometric scanner. This counterfeit mold emulates the unique biometric attributes of an individual so as to confuse the system between the artifact and the real biological target and gain access to sensitive data/materials. One such high-profile case of Biometric spoofing came to the limelight when it was found that  German Defence Minister, Ursula von der Leyen's fingerprint had been successfully replicated by Chaos Computer Club. The group used high quality camera lenses and shot images from 6 feet away. They used a professional finger software and mapped the contours of the Ministers thumbprint. Although progress has been made to stop spoofing. Using the principle of pulse oximetry- the liveliness of the test subject is taken into account by measure of blood oxygenation and the heart rate. This reduces attacks like the ones mentioned above, although these methods aren't commercially applicable as costs of implementation are high. This  reduces their real world application and hence makes biometrics insecure until these methods are commercially viable. Accuracy. Accuracy is a major issue with biometric recognition. Passwords are still extremely popular, because a password is static in nature, while biometric data can be subject to change (such as one's voice becoming heavier due to puberty, or an accident to the face, which could lead to improper reading of facial scan data). When testing voice recognition as a substitute to PIN-based systems, Barclays reported that their voice recognition system is 95 percent accurate. This statistic means that many of its  customers' voices might still not be recognised even when correct. This uncertainty revolving around the system could lead to slower adoption of biometric devices, continuing the reliance of traditional password-based methods. Future. Researchers are targeting the drawbacks of present-day biometric devices and developing to reduce problems like biometric spoofing and inaccurate intake of data. Technologies which are being developed are-