Contactless Fingerprinting
Touch-free fingerprint capture using cameras or scanners, enabling mobile or hygienic enrollment.
Overview
Contactless fingerprinting collects ridge detail without touching a platen, using optical setups or smartphone cameras to reconstruct flat equivalents.
How it works
- Capture multiple finger images in 3D or at angles.
- Normalize and flatten ridges into a standard fingerprint image.
- Generate templates compatible with contact-based databases.
Common use cases
- Mobile enrollment for civil ID
- Border kiosks with hygiene requirements
- Workforce or time-and-attendance apps
Strengths and limitations
Strengths: Hygienic; uses commodity hardware.
Limitations: Image distortion; interoperability with contact-based standards still evolving.
Key terms
- Contactless capture: Imaging without touching a sensor.
- Platen: Surface used in traditional fingerprint scanners.