Spanning from March 2009 until May 2011, this project aimed to advance fingerprint and palm print capture technology by developing a non-contact, 3-D scanner using Structured Light Illumination (SLI). The scanner captured ten rolled equivalent fingerprints and two palm prints quickly and accurately, even in high-volume environments like airports. Unlike traditional 2-D systems, this technology measured ridge shape and height in 3-D, producing higher-quality images and better matching rates. The 3-D data was converted to 2-D for compatibility with legacy AFIS databases.

The SLI technique was scalable, distortion-free, and captured fine details like ridges and minutiae, enabling more accurate identification. A 3-D matching algorithm was developed to compare 3-D and 2-D matching rates, potentially improving recognition performance.

The University of Kentucky, FlashScan3D, and the University of Louisville collaborated on this project, building on their ongoing work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on non-contact biometric systems. By leveraging existing technology and expertise, a refined prototype was completed in twelve months with a budget of $988,511, minimizing technical risk and allowing focus on algorithm development and performance evaluation.

This project represented a significant opportunity for DHS to enhance biometric capture and matching capabilities while building on prior investments and breakthroughs.

Read more here:
• https://scholars.uky.edu/en/projects/rolled-equivalent-3-d-fingerprint-and-palm-print-scanner
• https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250755.pdf
• https://singularityhub.com/2009/10/12/3d-fingerprinting-more-accurate-faster-touchless/
• https://www.technologyreview.com/2009/09/30/209651/touchless-3-d-fingerprinting/