Contactless: The Next Step in Fingerprinting Technology

Fingerprinting has come a long way since the old ink-and-roll technique. Digital fingerprinting allows for much cleaner capture using optical or capacitive technology to directly create a digital impression. Nonetheless, even this technology has disadvantages: it still requires trained personnel to accurately capture the prints, smudges on the sensor plate can reduce the quality of subsequent captures, and it can be challenging to obtain clear prints from subjects with wet or dirty hands or indistinct friction ridges. Further, capture still requires physical contact with the subject, which can escalate tensions and cause distress.

In the 2010s, advancements in imaging technology and biometric algorithms allowed the development of systems that could accurately capture and match fingerprint data without physical contact, thereby addressing the need for a faster, more hygienic, more user-friendly, and more cost-effective method.

This white paper examines the opportunities presented by contactless fingerprinting technology, whether using a dedicated stationary device or a smartphone camera, along with the challenges and how these can be mitigated.