Japanese technology company Fujitsu Ltd. hopes to install palm scanners in smart phones as a means of user authentication.
The company first commercialized the use palm scanners back in 2004 as a biometric authentication system for automated teller machines of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. The technology was also later used for in-store scanners at the Surga Bank that same year.
The system essentially scans for vein points and match them against previously registered scans to authenticate a user and to unlock a device or service linked to the system.
Fujitsu (OTCMKTS: FJTSY) later created smaller palm scanners for use in laptops.
The company recently introduced a stamp-sized version of its PalmSecure scanners for use in tablet devices. Fujitsu will release about 2,000 tablets with the scanners for the Fukuoka Financial Group.
PalmSecure uses near-infrared light to scan points in veins that are just beneath a user’s palm. Blood needs to be flowing in the veins in order for the scanner to work.
Palm patterns are unique to each person. Fujitsu claims the technology has a false acceptance rate of only 0.00008 per cent and a false rejection rate of 0.01 per cent.