As long as we have fingerprints, the biometric technology for fingerprint sensors and their application will continue to evolve and flourish.
A consensus of studies shows the fingerprint scanner market is projected to grow significantly with higher accuracy development and lower costs. According to Valuates Reports, the global fingerprint sensor market is expected to grow from $2.91 billion (USD) in 2020 to $5.19 billion by the end of 2026. Also, the significant adoption of fingerprint scanners in cloud computing and their increased use in smartphones should power demand in the coming years.
Fingerprint scanner applications are diverse for personal and industrial use. We have personal computing locks, fingerprint door locks, drawer locks, wearables, and identity recognition for Internet of Things devices. Fingerprint sensors can also help address security and privacy concerns by providing a level of authenticity for users. This is crucial as digital access to personal contact details, emails, payment information, location data, and other types of encrypted data increases. The widespread use of sensor-based biometric systems by corporate and government organizations is also driving use.
Smartphones are upping the game as well. The 2021 launch of the iPhone 13 is expected to include an in-display finger scanner. Expect more of this technology, especially after pandemic-related mask mandates and limited physical contact have prompted additional identification authenticity.
This week's New Tech Tuesdays highlights two fingerprint scanner products available to designers for solution-based development.
DFRobot Gravity: Capacitive Fingerprint Sensor does the standard job of fingerprint collecting, processing, storing, and comparison. The DFRobot device also includes an ID809 processor and semiconductor fingerprint sensor as its core. The sensor’s built-in IDfinger6.0 fingerprint algorithm enables it to complete all the fingerprint recognition independently. Another interesting feature: The module supports 360-degree arbitrary angle recognition with a deep self-learning function. Designers will be happy to know that the device supports I2C communication, making it suitable for working with controllers such as UNO, micro:bit, among others. The device is also a capacitive scanner, one of the most common fingerprint scanners used today.
Mikroe Fingerprint Sensor with Two-Color LED Ring is a capacitive fingerprint sensor module scanner. The module, which has a two-color ring indicator made by Hangzhou Grow Technology, is an integrated image collecting and algorithm chip in one. The device can be used as an extension of development boards and placed remotely on Mikroe's Fingerprint 3 Click, which is an adapter Click board (not included).
We've come a long way from the basic forensic science of inking up fingerprints and pressing those ink-stained fingers onto paper. We see those fingerprints entered into a database for analysis by the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation team or Dexter on TV crime dramas. Today's scanning technology has become more sophisticated, with all types of applications available to design engineers for development. Market projections show continuous growth in demand for fingerprint sensor technology. Best of all, you don't have to get your fingers all inky.
Tommy Cummings is a freelance writer/editor based in Texas. He's had a journalism career that has spanned more than 40 years. He contributes to Texas Monthly and Oklahoma Today magazines. He's also worked at The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, San Francisco Chronicle, and others. Tommy covered the dot-com boom in Silicon Valley and has been a digital content and audience engagement editor at news outlets. Tommy worked at Mouser Electronics from 2018 to 2021 as a technical content and product content specialist.