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Google Glass adapted for healthcare
news/Comment ...Continued from page 3 “Because the bracelet is on the same hand that provides inputs to the terminal, the accelerometer and gyroscope data and input events received by the terminal should correlate because their source is the same – the user’s hand movement,” the researchers said, pointing out that this ‘bilateral authentication’ complements any method that may be used for initial authentication, such as a password, a token or a fingerprint biometric.
Virgin Atlantic to ID passengers in a heartbeat
V
irgin Atlantic is to trial a new biometric tool that will use wristbands to measure heart rates to identify passengers, reports Airline Fleet Management. The unique heart rate will allow airline staff to identify the customer, enabling them to deliver a personalised service. Virgin Atlantic recently tried out Google Glass at Heathrow airport, also with the aim of improving customer service, by offering personalised service to identify individuals identified by the Glasses.
Virgin Atlantic Google Glass trial – now testing heartbeat biometrics.
Google Glass adapted for healthcare
R
esearchers from MIT’s Media Lab and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Interactive Computing have used sensors embedded in Google Glass to measure physiological signals of a wearer. The study used the Google Glass accelerometer, gyroscope and camera to monitor a user’s head movements and gather pulse and respiratory rates of 12 participants. The researchers point out that although the device was not designed for physiological measurement, its unique location on the
12
Biometric Technology Today
head of the person provides an opportunity to unobtrusively and continuously monitor physiological information during daily activities with the aim of reducing the costs associated with healthcare. The research may be viewed at http://affect.media.mit.edu/pdfs/14. Hernandez.Li.Rehg.Picard-MobiHealth.pdf
ity will be available to clients with mobile devices running Apple iOS 6 and above. Voice banking users can interact with Tangerine’s Mobile Banking app through a conversational interface that answers questions and provides information, but does not appear to offer individual voice recognition.
government
banking
Tangerine voice and finger activated banking
Australian Tax Office launches voice authentication
C
A
anadian bank Tangerine has launched voice-controlled banking backed by fingerprint biometrics. The bank’s app brings clients the ability to bank with their voice and use fingerprint technology to log in. Working with software provider Nuance Communications, Tangerine has said it is the first bank in Canada to offer a voice-controlled mobile app. Voice banking functional-
ustralians contacting the Australian Tax Office (ATO) by phone will be given the choice of recording a voiceprint that can be used to verify their identity for future calls. The ATO receives around 8m calls per year and for about 75% of these calls it asks the caller to verify their identity. Over 30,000 Australians have already chosen to use the voice verification technology.
Comment October is a key month in the calendar for Biometric Technology Today as it heralds the Biometrics Show, held every year in Westminster, London. Elsevier, publisher of Biometric Technology Today, and the Biometrics Institute have joined forces this year and have made radical changes to the format of the event to enable all participants and users of biometrics to share and learn from each other through interactive discussions. The private sector can tap into the vast experience government has gained in managing identities with the use of biometrics, and the public sector can learn from cost-effective implementations and the commercial sector’s focus on usability. A combination of academic, industry and user case studies will allow the industry to share insights and gain new ones, fostering innovation. Mobile devices have disrupted the biometrics industry massively in the past year and have become a key too for managing authentication. Mobile devices include smartphones, tablets and phablets, of course.
Additionally, wearables, from watches to glasses are also increasingly enabling a variety of biometric measurements that underpin authentication. Identification of individuals is also possible, through Google Glass for example and Virgin Atlantic has already tapped into that capability by piloting providing checkin staff with Google Glasses that recognise passengers checking in, to provide better customer service. Now Virgin Atlantic has taken its use of biometrics a step further and will be using individual passenger heartbeats transmitted from bracelets as a form of identification for individuals (see news story this page). This type of cross-fertilisation, where a form factor originally designed to measure heart rate for health and exercise purpose becomes a platform for identification has long been possible and it is certain the industry will watch developments in the mobiles and wearables space with interest. The new mobile paradigm will be a major theme at this month’s Biometric Show, along with the big privacy debate and the latest on biometric vulnerability assessments. I hope to see you there. Tracey Caldwell
October 2014
Virgin Atlantic to ID passengers in a heartbeat
V
irgin Atlantic is to trial a new biometric tool that will use wristbands to measure heart rates to identify passengers, reports Airline Fleet Management. The unique heart rate will allow airline staff to identify the customer, enabling them to deliver a personalised service. Virgin Atlantic recently tried out Google Glass at Heathrow airport, also with the aim of improving customer service, by offering personalised service to identify individuals identified by the Glasses.
Virgin Atlantic Google Glass trial – now testing heartbeat biometrics.
Google Glass adapted for healthcare
R
esearchers from MIT’s Media Lab and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Interactive Computing have used sensors embedded in Google Glass to measure physiological signals of a wearer. The study used the Google Glass accelerometer, gyroscope and camera to monitor a user’s head movements and gather pulse and respiratory rates of 12 participants. The researchers point out that although the device was not designed for physiological measurement, its unique location on the
12
Biometric Technology Today
head of the person provides an opportunity to unobtrusively and continuously monitor physiological information during daily activities with the aim of reducing the costs associated with healthcare. The research may be viewed at http://affect.media.mit.edu/pdfs/14. Hernandez.Li.Rehg.Picard-MobiHealth.pdf
ity will be available to clients with mobile devices running Apple iOS 6 and above. Voice banking users can interact with Tangerine’s Mobile Banking app through a conversational interface that answers questions and provides information, but does not appear to offer individual voice recognition.
government
banking
Tangerine voice and finger activated banking
Australian Tax Office launches voice authentication
C
A
anadian bank Tangerine has launched voice-controlled banking backed by fingerprint biometrics. The bank’s app brings clients the ability to bank with their voice and use fingerprint technology to log in. Working with software provider Nuance Communications, Tangerine has said it is the first bank in Canada to offer a voice-controlled mobile app. Voice banking functional-
ustralians contacting the Australian Tax Office (ATO) by phone will be given the choice of recording a voiceprint that can be used to verify their identity for future calls. The ATO receives around 8m calls per year and for about 75% of these calls it asks the caller to verify their identity. Over 30,000 Australians have already chosen to use the voice verification technology.
Comment October is a key month in the calendar for Biometric Technology Today as it heralds the Biometrics Show, held every year in Westminster, London. Elsevier, publisher of Biometric Technology Today, and the Biometrics Institute have joined forces this year and have made radical changes to the format of the event to enable all participants and users of biometrics to share and learn from each other through interactive discussions. The private sector can tap into the vast experience government has gained in managing identities with the use of biometrics, and the public sector can learn from cost-effective implementations and the commercial sector’s focus on usability. A combination of academic, industry and user case studies will allow the industry to share insights and gain new ones, fostering innovation. Mobile devices have disrupted the biometrics industry massively in the past year and have become a key too for managing authentication. Mobile devices include smartphones, tablets and phablets, of course.
Additionally, wearables, from watches to glasses are also increasingly enabling a variety of biometric measurements that underpin authentication. Identification of individuals is also possible, through Google Glass for example and Virgin Atlantic has already tapped into that capability by piloting providing checkin staff with Google Glasses that recognise passengers checking in, to provide better customer service. Now Virgin Atlantic has taken its use of biometrics a step further and will be using individual passenger heartbeats transmitted from bracelets as a form of identification for individuals (see news story this page). This type of cross-fertilisation, where a form factor originally designed to measure heart rate for health and exercise purpose becomes a platform for identification has long been possible and it is certain the industry will watch developments in the mobiles and wearables space with interest. The new mobile paradigm will be a major theme at this month’s Biometric Show, along with the big privacy debate and the latest on biometric vulnerability assessments. I hope to see you there. Tracey Caldwell
October 2014