Group Members:
John Danner, Rakhee Kumar, Justin Mc Quown, Schawn Schoch, and Zaozao Tang.

   The need for security in all facets of daily life has increased greatly within the past few years.  New threats and risks have led to an increase in the number of restricted areas and locked doors.  Gaining entrance into office buildings or dormitory rooms has made it necessary to maintain ID cards, personal identification numbers (PIN), passwords, and keys all of the time.   Constantly having all this information handy can be cumbersome.  A system that eliminates the need to have many forms of identification in hand at all times would greatly simplify everyday life. 

            Recent improvements in biometric technology make it possible to identify individuals by a physical trait,such as a fingerprint, retina, or signature.  Physiological traits are unique and unalterable.   Unlike a password or personal identification number (PIN), a biometric trait cannot be forgotten, lost, or stolen.  Among these biometric traits, identification by fingerprint has been used for over 30 years to identify criminals.  It takes little time and effort for somebody using a fingerprint identification device to have his or her fingerprint scanned.  Verification of fingerprints is fast and reliable.  In addition, a fingerprint identification device can require very little space on a desktop or in a machine.  

    During this time when security is of high importance a method other than traditional keys and passwords would help to increase accuracy and of security.  A cost effective biometric based system that is capable of quickly and accurately identifying individuals could simplify daily life and eliminate many of the annoyances of traditional verification methods.

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