Finger Vein Recognition
Near-infrared imaging of vascular patterns inside fingers provides high liveness assurance for authentication.
Overview
Finger vein systems illuminate the finger with near-infrared light and capture subdermal vein patterns that are difficult to replicate.
How it works
- Shine near-infrared light through the finger.
- Image absorbed vs transmitted light to reveal veins.
- Extract features and match against stored templates.
Common use cases
- ATM and banking authentication
- High-security access points
- Research on wearable devices
Strengths and limitations
Strengths: Built-in liveness; privacy-friendly since patterns are internal.
Limitations: Specialized sensors; smaller vendor ecosystem.
Key terms
- NIR (Near-Infrared): Wavelength used to image veins.
- Vein template: Feature representation of vascular patterns.