BioAPI supports a wide range of biometric technologies including fingerprint imaging, speaker verification, facial recognition, iris scanning, dynamic signature, and hand geometry. It is designed for use in a broad array of applications, extending from embedded devices (such as cell phones) to large-scale identification systems (such as national ID systems), as well as user authentication applications associated with computer and network access, the Consortium says.
Prior reference implementations for BioAPI version 1.1 support standard Windows (Win32) and Unix/Linux. Both of these are freely available for download and royalty-free use as open source software, according to the Consortium. The Windows CE beta is currently available for testing to consortium members, and others upon request. Following beta testing, it will also be released as open source.
BioAPI is said to be compatible with the Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework (CBEFF; NIST Publication NISTIR 6529-A), which defines a single approach for a biometric data structure in an effort to assure biometrics companies and their potential customers that different biometric devices and applications can exchange information efficiently. The API is an ANSI standard, ANSI/INCITS 358, which has also been submitted as a candidate for further standardization through the International Standards Organization.
The BioAPI Consortium currently has over 100 members covering a broad cross section of biometric technology manufacturers, integrators, equipment manufacturers, and end users from around the world, it says.
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