NEXT Biometrics (Oslo Bors: NEXT), a global leader in fingerprint sensor technology, today announced the results of a new study by Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M) showing that NEXT fingerprint sensors outperform sensors from three top competitors. NEXT sensors produced significantly lower biometric error rates during extensive testing. Biometric error rates ultimately determine the security and convenience of biometric authentication systems.
The study confirms results of prior research from UC3M published in 2015, which revealed direct dependency between capture area and biometric performance.
“Independent experts again agree that small sensors can never achieve the same level of convenience and security as large-area fingerprint sensors,” said Ritu Favre, NEXT CEO. “At NEXT, we’re naturally quite pleased to see that our latest product even outperforms much more expensive benchmark sensors from leading competitors. Our ability to produce such high-performing fingerprint sensors is a key competitive advantage.”
The current study involved more than 500 individuals and 50,000 fingerprint scans per sensor. Researchers at UC3M used best practices methodology from the International Standardization Organization (ISO) to carry out their investigation looking at the latest sensor technology from NEXT and three competitor companies. The independent research team also used state-of-the-art algorithms and a refined evaluation methodology.
In contrast to many pilot programs relying on small in-house user test populations, the large-scale study by UC3M relies on hundreds of millions of fingerprint comparisons, which provide measurable and credible error rate data.
The performance of biometric fingerprint sensors is largely dependent on sensor size according to the study, with large-area sensors generating significantly lower biometric error rates. The direct relationship between active sensor area and biometric error rates has also been confirmed by other scientific research.
As the biometrics industry increasingly turns its attention to applications like payments and banking where security is paramount, ensuring reliable accuracy and ease-of-use is essential. With a leading fingerprint algorithm suitable for embedded platforms, the NEXT sensor was the only product to achieve a false reject rate of less than one percent when configured in a 1-in-10,000 false acceptance.
The research team at UC3M has published its study findings, which have been made publicly available at: http://idtestinglab.uc3m.es/data/_uploaded/Publications/Madrid2_PublicReport_v1.0.pdf
