As well as telling the time, your wristwatch may soon be able to tell who you
are. The layout of blood vessels, tendons and muscles in the wrist is different
for each person—and as good as a fingerprint for ID purposes. These
subcutaneous structures can easily be scanned using infrared LEDs on the
underside of a watch, says Joe Rice, inventor of the Veincheck technology, based
in Mansfield. The watch decodes the infrared image to create a biometric
identification device that could act as a key for secure areas, says Rice. This
could put an end to the hassle of using easily lost smart cards.
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