New ATM gives cash via biometric scan!
WARSAW, Poland - July 5, 2010 - Poland's cooperative BPS bank says it's the first in Europe to install a biometric ATM - allowing customers to withdraw cash simply with the touch of a fingertip.
The digit-scanning ATM, introduced in the Polish capital of Warsaw, runs on the latest in "finger vein" technology - an authentication system developed by Japanese tech giant Hitachi.
The company says that an infrared light is passed through the finger to detect a unique pattern of micro-veins beneath the surface - which is then matched with a pre-registered profile to verify an individual's identity.
"This is a substantially more reliable technique than using fingerprints," Peter Jones, Hitachi's head of security and solutions in Europe, told CNN.
"Our tests indicate there is a one in a million false acceptance rate - that's as good as iris scanning, which is generally regarded as the most secure method."
Unlike fingerprints, which leave a trace and can be potentially reproduced, finger veins are impossible to replicate, according to Jones, because they are beneath the surface of the skin; and before you ask, no - it doesn't work with fingers that have been chopped off," he added.
