The life-size 3D hand models, complete with fingerprints, using a high-resolution 3D printer that can produce the same ridges and valleys as a real finger has been created by an Indian-American researcher and his team.

Like any optical device, fingerprint and hand scanners need to be calibrated, but currently there is no standard method for doing so.

Professor Anil Jain from Michigan State University (MSU), said that, "This is the first time a whole hand 3D target has been created to calibrate fingerprint scanners."

"As a byproduct of this research, we realized a fake 3D hand, essentially a spoof, with someone's fingerprints, could potentially allow a crook to steal the person's identity to break into a vault, contaminate a crime scene or enter the country illegally," Jain added.

"Another application of this technology will be to evaluate the spoof-resistance of commercial fingerprint scanners. We have highlighted a security loophole and the limitations of existing fingerprint scanning technology, now it's up to the scanner manufacturers to design a scanner that is spoof-resistant," Jain noted in a university statement.

The study is funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It aims to design and develop standard models and procedures for consistent and reliable evaluation of fingerprint readers.

Nicholas Paulter, Group Leader for the Security Technologies Group at NIST and a co-author of the study, said that, "We are very pleased with this research and how it is showing the uncertainties in the process and what it can mean for the accuracy of the readers."  

The FBI, CIA, military and manufacturers will all be interested in this project, he added.

Also Read: Sikh in Indiana portrayed as ‘Trump's Muslim supporter’

Nandini