Fujitsu Introduces Vein-ScanningTechnology For ATM Security

NEW YORK - (05/24/05) -- Fujitsu Ltd., one of the biggestmanufacturers of ATMs, said it will begin selling ATMs with thecompany's patented palm-vein biometric security system in the U.S.by the end of this year. The system, which uses the pattern ofveins inside a person's hand to verify his identity, has beenavailable in Japan since mid-2004 and is already being used in somehigh-profile applications, including an alternative to PINs. Thesystem includes a scanner that is similar to a digital camera butworks in the near-infrared range, so it can detect veins. Thesystem then uses a proprietary algorithm to match the imagesproduced by the scanner to a database for verification, taking intoaccount the number of veins, their position and the points at whichthey cross.