A Novel Perspective on Hand Vein Patterns for Biometric Recognition: Problems, Challenges, and Implementations

Abstract

Biometric recognition using hand vein patterns is a relatively new technology that has showed a lot of promise from its inception, with features matching or even exceeding well-established biometric methods. Parameters such as universality, permanence, degree of acceptance, or collectability place vein pattern recognition in the top echelon of biometric methods and still, the technology has not gained the traction heralded in the beginning. The novelty of the domain and the low-entry price point for developing hardware scanning devices have created an opposite effect, where the lack of standardization, low amount of usable hand vein samples, and the over-optimization of the detection algorithms have not yielded significant practical solutions for mainstream integration of the technology. The chapter addresses hand vein patterns---with an emphasis on the veins on the back of the hand---and contains a combination of novel research and analysis/discussion regarding the state of hand vein pattern recognition, its challenges, and potential modern approaches for mitigating the inherent problems of the technology. Closing remarks attempt to picture a possible future roadmap for vein pattern recognition and its inclusion in a permanently connected world.