We are getting more and more involved with biometric technologies in our day to day activities. Whether or not, we realize this, it is true! We are already very used to deal with several biometric modalities such as fingerprint, iris, palm print, voice and facial recognition. A new modality named tongue print biometrics may just become a part of this elite club soon.
The uses of biometrics is becoming popular as the demand of more secure, convenient and time effective solutions has been on rising tremendously, especially in the last decade. Traditional passwords, keys, PINs have failed to ensure the data security as those methods have become old and easy to forge with modern day criminal tools & techniques.
Tongue Print
The tongue is an integral part of a human body, more specifically, the mouth. Unlike other biometric traits, tongue is a hidden part of the body. But, similar to other modalities, every human being has a unique tongue print, which is true even for identical twins.
It might not be a casual authentication system because of the operation, but in case of extremely critical situations, it could prove to be the most reliable biometric solution.
Tongue print can become another solid biometric modality for authentication processes.
- Unique: Every human has a unique tongue print, just like fingerprints. Every tongue is different in terms of certain aspects, like shape and texture.
- Inner part: Unlike fingerprints or eye recognition, it is the only organ actually housed inside the body (the mouth, to be more specific), but it can easily be stuck out for inspection purposes. Other forms of identification involving eyes or fingerprints are already exposed to the public, whereas the tongue is well concealed and cannot be inspected without the subject knowing about it.
- Livability: Also, sticking out one’s tongue is an undeniable “proof of life”, whereas fingerprints and even irises can be mimicked or applied without the person’s consent/consciousness.
Key Measurement Attributes
Tongue print biometrics works with two main attributes, shape and texture of the tongue.
The shape is unique to everyone, but the size varies. The basic variants of a tongue are long, short, medium, etc. But, there are over hundreds of types of tongues available rather than just long and short.
The other attribute is the texture of the tongue. It contains several identifiers such as ridges, wrinkles, seams and marks that are unique to every individual.
Scientific Investigation
An independent scientific investigation supports the fact that microorganisms inside the human mouth has the same reliability as fingerprints when studying the origin of an individual. According to this study, there are over 400 different types of microorganisms under the microscope. Over 100 of those microscopic organisms belong to the major ethnicities of whites, Chinese, non-Hispanic blacks and Latinos.
In addition, the study reveals that only 2% of the microscopic organisms are common amongst all humans depending on their origin. However, 90% of those participants had 8% microscopic organisms in common. It is interesting to note that the study results conclude that the major ethnic groups have a group of common microscopic cluster which symbolize a marker.
Conclusion
The potentiality of tongue print biometrics is enormous. With proper development and innovation, it could be another source of authentication in the coming years.
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