Greek scientists are developing a biometric security system that identifies you by your brain's unique electrical patterns. Developed by researchers at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, the system takes EEG measurements via a sensor-laden cap that the user puts on his or her head. From New Scientist:
Currently users must sit quietly with their eyes shut during each test. "We ask them to close their eyes and not speak"," Tzovaras says, which provides "a much clearer picture".
The result of each authentication test is compared with the user's pre-recorded measurements, using signal-processing algorithms. These algorithms can be tuned to different security levels…
However, John Daugman, a biometrics researcher at the University of Cambridge, UK, questions the practicality of the approach. He says an EEG cap could prove too cumbersome and invasive. "Wearing a wired helmet with sensors on one's scalp might change the ambiance of the workplace somewhat," he says.
Similarly, neuroimaging expert Olaf Hauk, also at the University of Cambridge, believes using the system in a wide variety of situations, particularly stressful ones, could complicate the results significantly. "EEG varies greatly depending on a person's alertness, or mental operations," Hauk told New Scientist. "You might not want to be taken for someone else at the airport just because you had a bad night before."
Previously on BB:
• Biometric car lock defeated by cutting off owner's finger Link
• Arkansas salon requires thumbprint to get a tan Link
• Mindball Link
• EEG "cyborg" concert Link
