Identify people with footprints

New research in Japan shows that footprints can help people identify exactly as fingerprints.

According to the Discovery News , scientists found that bare feet touched the ground often leaving traces of the 'owner' . This finding means that someday in the future, foot pressure models will be included in the list of identification measures (now including retinal scans, speech recognition, face imaging).

Footprints are as effective as fingerprints in identification - (photo: Red Orbit)

Previous studies have shown that individuals have a distinct gait. Computers can identify 'walking patterns' , ie, an individual's mobility, with up to 90 percent accuracy. The research team led by Todd Pataky at Shinshu University in Matsumoto City has endeavored to consolidate this finding by assessing how feet touch the ground and leaving traces on foot.

They used a 3-D image processing technique and a technique called 'image extraction' to analyze the mobility characteristics of 104 volunteers, including how to reach the ground, The 'roll' on the ground and the act of lifting off the ground. According to a report published in the Journal of the Royal Society , the researchers found that footprints could identify an individual as accurate as 99.6% Fingerprint.

According to Pataky, the technology will be very useful during security checks. However, it only works in situations where an individual wants to be identified 'by anyone who can change his or her appearance'.

Experts note that this is a preliminary study of barefoot carriers. Pataky and his colleagues will continue to look at whether footwear can produce the same pattern. "We have collected some footwear footwear data, but have not conducted systematic tests ," Pataky said.