The Biometric Future?

Biometric technology basically means using a unique aspect of your biology to identify yourself so that you can gain access to something, such as a building or vehicle. It used to be a vision we saw of the future, often viewed in scenes in films of a futuristic nature. However, the reality is that biometric technology is actually now available in our lifetime and is slowly being added to many peoples’ lives.

Three ways biometrics may influence your future includes:

1. Biometric access for buildings. This is the kind of thing we used to see in the films, scanning a fingerprint or eyeball to gain entry into a building. The advantages of this is that you do not need a code to get in, which is easier to forget, or an ID badge, which could easily be stolen and used to gain access into a building or secure site. The biometric access enables people to have control of a site, analysing who has come in and out of the building, and what times people checked in. It gives a business owner a better view of the site and control of it. For sites that are high security, this is already being installed into their premises. However, it could soon be something which we see in our homes. It means that only the people given access to your house can get into it, which means fewer opportunities for thieves and no need for fiddly keys.

2. Electronic access to vehicles. The idea above could be transferred to our vehicles. In fact, some cars already have this idea installed into them but it hasn’t reached mainstream yet. Having access to our cars by a fingerprint rather than a key, and being able to start the ignition with your fingerprint means that the car can remain more secure. It would also hopefully put an end to the increasing practise of stealing luxury high-end cars to order, syncing the car biometrically to a small set of people (A family unit for example) would remove the temptation to steal cars and therefore possible reduce our ever increasing insurance premiums.

3. Electronic payments. Perhaps a little further into the future we will see electronic payments. Cards will be a thing of the past! Paying for your groceries will be easier by simply giving your thumbprint or a scan of your eye, and the payment will be added to your account based on your unique biology. Again, this means that no one can get hold of your card and draw money from your account or make payments without your knowledge, and gives you more control over your payments and finances. Identity fraud would literally take on a new meaning.