A password of any other kind: consumer identity through the skull

humans use laptops and smartphones to shop and arrange their complete lifestyles -- blanketed handiest through a password or a PIN. but, these are frequently now not secure, due to the fact customers do not choose or save them well. With so-known as biometric identifiers including fingerprints, voice or iris scans, users may be diagnosed greater easily and securely. laptop scientists from the college of Saarland and the university of Stuttgart at the moment are introducing a new biometric identifier which can be used with the eyewear laptop Google Glass. Their gadget "SkullConduct" uses the cranium to offer a digital get entry to code. within the destiny this new technique could also cozy smartphones.

"Eyewear computers together with Google Glass are already being used in businesses and universities, for helping with physics experiments and in chemistry labs, documenting medical examinations and supporting pediatricians during operations," says Andreas Bulling from the Cluster of Excellence on "Multimodal Computing and interaction" at Saarland college. There the 35-yr-vintage pc scientist leads the studies institution "Perceptual user Interfaces" and researches on the neighboring Max Planck Institute for Informatics. "now not best might also the customers have no arms free to enter a password, they regularly proportion a Google Glass among each other and save touchy information at the device," explains Bulling.

To defend the eyewear pc and its records in case of robbery, and to pick out legitimate customers and prove their authenticity, Andreas Bulling has evolved, in conjunction with Youssef Oualil, also from Saarland university, and Stefan Schneegass, from the university of Stuttgart, a new approach. the important thing: The researchers use components the Google Glass already has. besides the miniature microphone, they use the so-referred to as bone conduction speaker, that's slightly visible and is embedded in the frame near the right ear. the use of bone conduction, it transmits sounds to the ear within the same manner as unique listening to aids do. It directs sound vibrations via the encircling skull bone immediately to the inner ear.

"due to the fact the skull is man or woman, the sound signal is changed in a manner which is particular for everyone. consequently, we can use it as a biometric identifier," Bulling explains. The researchers have the bone conduction speaker play a signal covering a vast frequency spectrum. The signal because of the cranium is recorded with the Google Glass' built-in microphone. From this recording, the scientists extract the identity functions the usage of a special set of rules and compose them into a form of virtual fingerprint. "that is function for every person, and consequently it is saved," Bulling says. If someone wears the eyewear computer afterwards, the manner starts offevolved mechanically. The signal echoes thru the skull, and the microphone alternatives it up. If the modern-day audio fingerprint suits the saved one, the person receives get admission to to the miniature laptop. "the primary benefit of the technique is," Bulling adds, "the recognition of the user may also take place implicitly within the destiny, as an instance by sounds the device offers as feedback to the consumer anyway."

collectively with his colleagues, he named the new method "SkullConduct" and examined it on ten people. They were authenticated by using "SkullConduct" with an accuracy of 97 percentage. "however, we've got executed these checks in a room with no history noise," says Bulling. The researchers reported further info at the convention "Human elements in Computing systems (CHI)," which has simply been held in California. additionally they discussed the new device within the posted paper "SkullConduct: Biometric consumer identification on Eyewear computers the use of Bone Conduction thru the cranium."

As a next step, Bulling and his colleagues need to test whether their technique works in ordinary life. They need to research the frequency variety of ultrasound, which might have the benefit that the person could not listen the sign. The researchers can also imagine their approach being utilized by smartphones. "If the smartphone has a correspondingly placed bone conduction speaker and a microphone, and the user presses it with bone contact to his cranium, it is able to likely work regardless of the normal ringtone of the phone," Bulling says.