Hitachi and Fujitsu have developed palm-vein scanner technology that could make ATMs more secure.
Japan has experience many notorious ATM scams in the past that have seen customers lose millions of dollars. To respond to this issue, Japanese banks approached tech firms to develop systems that foil ATM scams. Fujitsu and Hitachi developed biometric banking systems. Fujitsu developed a palm-vein scanner module while Hitachi developed a finger-vein scanner system.
The technology can be easily integrated into existing ATMs. The companies have already incorporated the systems in some 80,000 ATMs across Japan. Instead of PINs or secret codes, the palm-vein scanner identifies a user through unique patterns of veins in his or her hands/fingers.
To carry out a transaction, a user inserts his or her bank card and is prompted to put their hand into a scanner built into the ATM. A built in camera records the resulting image of the veins in your palm/finger and compares them to the template in the bank’s database. If the records match (positive), a confirmation prompt is displayed and a PIN request pops up. The user can type in his or her PIN and proceed with the transaction. The technology can be easily integrated into existing ATMs.
Hitachi and Fujitsu researchers are working on systems for a future in which users will ditch their bank cards and buy things by mere flashing of the hand at a sensor.