Palm Vein Authentication to Identify Smartphone Charging Festival Goers

Vodafone’s VIP Recharge Truck is in high gear to take on 2012 festival season.

Vodafone has always provided festival goers with ways to charge their smartphones while enjoying the festivities. Now, a new cutting-edge technology will be used to identify smartphone owners: palm vein scanning.

With 2,000 handsets that the Vodafone VIP Recharge Truck can accommodate, including chargers for all kinds of phones, the identity of smartphone owners could always pose possible mayhem and confusion. In the past, Vodafone has been using barcode wristbands with photos of owners to identify the handsets. However, wristbands can easily get lost in a mosh pit. So this year, Vodafone has turned to palm vein scanners.

Infrared palm vein scanners will be installed in the truck. Palm vein scanners use near infrared lights to scan patterns of veins just beneath the skin. It is a non-intrusive process that gives a high level accuracy. Veins are uniquely designed in each person and as it is internal, it cannot be replicated. Moreover, it is not susceptible to external conditions like dirt and grime that can affect identification and verification.

According to Vodafone blog, customers wishing to charge their smartphone will be asked to place their hand on “the infrared Palm Vein Readers to verify identity in just a couple of seconds.” It creates a Vein map and “it’s stored when you drop off your phone, and checked when you come back to pick it up.”

Click here for a list of summer festivals the Vodafone Truck will be at.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  palm vein authentication  |  palm verification  |  smartphones