IDloop launches 3D contactless fingerprint biometrics scanner

Germany-based biometric security company IDloop has introduced the CFS flats, an optical contactless fingerprint scanner that incorporates 3D imaging. This product is designed to operate without physical contact in high-traffic environments, such as airports.

Jörg Reinhold, CEO of IDloop, emphasized that while contactless fingerprint scanners are not a new concept, the advanced 3D imaging capabilities of the CFS flats provide greater detail and accuracy.

“CFS flats represents a paradigm shift in biometric security. Contactless fingerprint scanners aren’t new, but our product is designed for public arenas where the highest level of security is not only necessary but paramount,” Reinhold adds.

In terms of working, the CFS flats scanner utilizes structured blue light to project onto the surface of the finger. Due to the unevenness of a fingerprint surface, the projected light pattern becomes distorted, which is then captured by a camera. The captured data is sent to a computing unit, which is processed to reconstruct a detailed 3D point cloud.

IDloop says that each point cloud comprises more than 5 million individual data points. The device can capture 13 point clouds per second and achieve a depth resolution of 10 micrometers, allowing detailed fingerprint images that include sweat pores.

To replicate the appearance of a fingerprint, the 3D image is converted into a 2D image using an optimized biophysical model. This 2D equivalent fingerprint image contains all the detailed minutiae necessary for person identification and verification.

IDloop unveiled a pre-commercial version of its biometric scanner last year, and won a grant of 10 million euros by the European Commission to bring it to market.

The system is capable of supporting one-to-many (1:N) authentication, and the high accuracy and level of detail in the captured fingerprint images make the scanner suitable for database enrollment, the company says.

“With its swift 3D imaging capabilities, what you get isn’t just an image of a fingerprint but millions of high-resolution 3D data points — free of false minutiae, scale ambiguities, and perspective distortions,” Reinhold explains.

3D fingerprint biometrics capturing is unaffected by ambient lighting, motion, skin type, color, or moisture levels, according to IDloop. This ensures consistency in the results and accuracy in various conditions.

Last year, researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) introduced standardized test fingers as part of their efforts to improve the accuracy of contactless fingerprint recognition technology.

Article Topics

3D point clouds  |  biometrics  |  CFS flats  |  contactless biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  fingerprint scanners  |  IDloop