Innovation Spotlight: University of Southampton: Biometrics and Human Identification

Report Code: IFT209A

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August 2020

If you feel you are unique, one of a kind…you’re correct. Almost everything we do, and every part of our anatomy gives us away as an individual.

We have many signatures, and the list grows each year. Biometrics are measurable physical or behavioral characteristics that can be used to identify a person. It refers to metrics related to human characteristics such as fingerprints, palm veins, face recognition, DNA, palm prints, hand geometry, iris recognition, retina and odor. Behavioral characteristics are related to the pattern of behavior of a person, including typing rhythm, gait and voice.

For expert insights into the field, we first sat down with Mark Nixon, a researcher, author, and Professor at the University of Southampton in the UK, who has been a pioneer in the field of gait analysis and recognition.