Iranian researcher uses ear for identification at airports, border crossings

An Iranian researcher at Amir Kabir University has developed a method to identify people at airports and border crossings through ear specifications.

“Biometrics such as fingerprint and iris are used for identification of people. We have used ear as a biometric in this study,” said Mina Shahriari.

She added that some biometric features change over time, but ear functions independently and does not grow old.

The researcher noted that ear images were used for the study and a histogram was used for identification process. “Using ear as a biometric is highly precise for identification of people compared with other methods of identification.”

She also said that taking the image of an individual’s ear does not need his cooperation, while in other methods of identification such as eye-scan and fingerprinting the person needs to work with the operator.

She concluded that the method can be used for identification of terrorists at borders crossings and other ports on entry.