Smarter Security Systems shows vascular reader

Published 3 June 2009

Austin, Texas-based company shows its new vascular patterns reader; low false acceptance rate (FAR) of 0.0001 percent, quickness (0.4/seconds per person), the ability to performs with skin conditions such as scars or dirt and any lighting conditions makes it ideal for industrial applications

Austin, Texas-based Smarter Security Systems announced the other day the availability of its FastScan Vascular Reader (VR), a biometric reader for access control. The company says that FastScan VR, which reads hand vascular patterns, provides speedy identity verification, is highly accurate, and overcomes many of the weaknesses inherent in alternative biometric technologies.

FastScan VR is the biometric technology we’ve all been waiting for — one that is extremely fast and easy to use by the masses, affordable, and virtually foolproof,” said Jeff Brown, president of Smarter Security Systems. “This technology should accelerate the adoption of biometric access control, which has long been perceived as more secure, but has been held back by operational issues, privacy concerns, and cost objections. FastScan VR provides the ultimate combination of accuracy and speed and is a compelling product that should be looked at by anyone charged with securing access to critical or highly sensitive areas.”

FastScan VR uses passive infrared technology to scan the vascular data in the blood vessels on the back of a hand. Hand vascular patterns are unique and are the only biometric which is inside the body and can not be duplicated. For additional certainty, the system requires a live vein pattern with a flowing vascular stream. The company says this results in unsurpassed accuracy, as demonstrated by FastScan VR’s low false acceptance rate (FAR) of 0.0001 percent. In live authentication, hand scans are compared to vascular pattern templates stored on a smart card or on the network, which the user accesses with either a PIN or proximity card. This two-stage verification further increases security.

Identity verification with FastScan VR is very quick (0.4/seconds per person). Nearly all people can use FastScan VR and it performs with skin conditions such as scars or dirt. This makes it ideal for industrial applications where fingerprint readers often fail. Unlike iris readers, FastScan VR works in any lighting conditions, and it avoids the privacy concerns associated with other biometric technologies.

Note that FastScan VR is approved under the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. This makes it available for government operations as well as commercial applications. FastScan VR is offered as an independent product but can also be integrated with Fastlane optical turnstiles as well. FastScan VR can be combined with Fastlane Door Detective which secures the open door by providing tailgate detection.