NIST Report and Data Could Bring Improvements to Fingerprinting Technology

Fingerprint capture technology has advanced to the point where high-quality rolled prints soon might be obtained without the manual assistance of a trained device operator, according to a new report issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These advancements could help law enforcement collect information-rich prints more rapidly and economically.

The document, NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 8210, Nail to Nail Fingerprint Challenge: Prize Analysis (link is external), details the methods used in a recent IARPA-sponsored challenge (link is external) whose overall goal was to improve fingerprint capture technology. Eight finalists from industry and academia took part in the competition’s finale, the results of which IARPA announced at a March 21 workshop.