Wet conditions are notoriously difficult for both semiconductor and conventional optical fingerprint sensors to handle. And yet, moisture is a fairly common real world condition. Some environments are naturally damp, due to climate (London) or setting (a spa). Some people have moist hands. It is typical for people going through security to be nervous — and to have sweaty hands.
Lumidigm’s multispectral imaging technology works in extreme conditions, including rain. Conventional optical technologies are often unable to produce images in wet conditions because excess moisture obscures fingerprint ridges, resulting in images of puddles, not fingerprints. Multispectral fingerprint sensors capture high-quality images in this situation because the direct imaging process does not depend on a clean finger/sensor interface.
Wet conditions: two fingerprint technolgies produce different results
The fingerprint images shown here illustrate this point. A finger was submerged in a pool of water and placed on two sensors. The conventional optical sensor was unable to capture a good image because the water interfered with the finger/sensor interface. The Lumidigm sensor was able to “see” the fingerprint and produce a high-quality image in this very wet real world condition.
Lumidigm’s “waterfall demo”, used to demonstrate the capabilities of its fingerprint products in wet conditions.
