Fingers, veins and the grey pound: Accessibility of biometric technology

Abstract

Motivation - Fingerprint verification systems are the most widely used biometric technology, however several studies suggest that their performance deteriorates when older individuals use the technology. This research investigated both the accessibility and acceptability of biometric technology for an older population. Research approach - A fingerprint and a vein system were tested with a group of 36 participants, with a mean age of 65.7 years. Participants used both devices and both objective performance data and subjective measures of opinion were collected. Findings - The vein system performed significantly better than the fingerprint system, and was preferred by the majority of participants. Research implications - The relationship between user preference and device performance is complex however, and could not be fully explained through this evaluation. Take away message - The elderly are poorly represented in studies investigating biometric technology, though this research suggests that vein systems are a technology that could accommodate this demographic.