The History of Biometrics

By skdouglas
  • Period: Jan 1, 1300 to Dec 31, 1400

    Joao de Barros

    Joao de Barros reported that Chinese merchants were using children's hand and foot prints to tell them apart (Questbiometrics, 2005)

  • John Evangelist Purkinje

    John Evangelist Purkinje published a thesis detailing nine specific fingerprint patterns (Bima).

  • Dr. Henry Faulds

    Dr. Henry Faulds first published his ideas about using fingerprints as a means of identifying criminals in the journal Nature (Pike, 2007).

  • Sir Francis Galton

    Sir Francis Galton determined that no two fingerprints were alike and that fingerprints could be used as identification throughout the entire course of ones life (BIMA)

  • Alphonse Bertillon

    Alphonse Bertillon used body mechanics and measurements to help identify criminals (Osborn, 2005)

  • Henry Classification System

    The Henry Classification system was the first method of classification for fingerprint identification based on physiological characteristics (Pike, 2007).

  • Henry System in England

    Sir Edward Henry established The Metropolitan Police Fingerprint Bureau at Scotland Yard. The system assigns each finger a numerical value (BIMA)

  • Identification Division

    Congress established the Identification Division of the FBI (BIMA).

  • Frank Burch

    Frank Burch suggested using iris patterns for identification and verification (BIMA).

  • AFIS

    FBI unveiled its Automated Fingerprint Identification System technology (BIMA).

  • Speech and Voice

    The National Security Agency makes advances in speech and voice recognition (BIMA).
  • Period: to

    Hand geometry

    Hand geometry systems were tested both commercially and by the U.S. Army (BIMA).

  • Face Recognition

    The Defense Advanced Research Products Agency initiated its Face Recognition Technology program (BIMA).