They’ve got the measure of you

Biometrics, the use of various means to identify, or verify the identity of, individuals can be a valuable aid wherever there is a need to control access, whether to a secure site or to an ATM or a piece of sensitive plant or machinery. The Association for Biometrics and the Department of Trade and Industry held a conference last October reviewing Government applications for this family of technologies, including identification of petty criminals in a crowd, speeding the admission of prison visitors and cutting out the queues at airport immigration desks. In support of these and other applications a wide array of techniques is being developed.