Perspectives and limitations of touchless fingerprints

Abstract

In recent years, fingerprinting technology has developed at a rapid pace. Fingerprinting is still the most prevalent method of verifying an individual's identity because every person, has unique fingerprints. However, fingerprinting technology does have its limitations. The perception that fingerprint, as biometric trait, does not change with time is not correct. Aging and medical conditions of an individual do impact the overall shape of a fingerprint. Current study reviews the state of the art in fingerprinting technology emphasizing limitations of fingerprints produced by contact methods versus contactless techniques, describing drawbacks of the hardware as well as the limitations of software.