Cash machine technology that reads the pattern of finger veins is already available in Japan and Poland
Cash machines could soon be installed with devices that identify customers by reading the veins in their fingers.
The technology is already being rolled out in Poland, where 1,730 cash machines will this year be installed with readers, negating the need for a debit card and Pin.
Developed by Hitachi, the Japanese electronics firm, the machines read the patterns of the veins just below the surface of the skin on your finger using infra-red sensors.
The light is partially absorbed by haemoglobin in the veins to capture a unique finger vein pattern profile, which is matched to a profile.
The technology is used by Japanese banks and also in Turkey, offering “groundbreaking levels of accuracy and speed of authentication”, Hitachi said, which in theory tightens security.
A similar technology has been developed for shops in America, called Biyo.
It allows customers to pay by placing their hand over a scanner in a coffee shop or supermarket.
This is done using Fujitsu technology that reads the unique vein pattern under the surface of the skin of a palm.
On its website Biyo states that it aims to “mitigate fraud, identity theft, and protect their assets and sensitive data by removing the barriers that made them vulnerable”.
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