Typically, biometric technology manufacturers market their devices toward a range of different applications. But when security and safety are on the line, a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective enough. That's why the University of Buffalo has established the Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors.
This facility will research and develop customized biometric systems for specific applications based on traditional and nontraditional approaches alike. Specifically, the Center believes that the application should dictate the technology's specifications, like the kinds of sensors it needs, its packaging, its level of intelligence, and its level of data transmission security. Efforts will unify information from different identification methods—such as height and weight, iris shapes, vein structure, and hand geometry—for effective identification.
Using $1.3 million in funding from federal, state, university, and corporate sources, the Center hopes to play a major role in the commercialization of biometrics as well as in homeland security efforts. It also hopes to benefit from the projected market growth, which expects biometrics to soar from 2002's $900 million total to $4 billion by 2007, said University of Buffalo vice president of research Jaylan S. Turkkan. For more information, go to www.buffalo.edu.
