Scientists nose out new ID weapon

Experts say that every human has an individual probuscis, which could be used in the battle against illegal immigration, terrorism, fraud and identity theft.

The new technology works by scanning a nose and analysing the image according to six main shapes: Roman, Greek, Nubian, Hawk, Snub and Turn-up.

Each nose is then further tested by computer software to analyse its profile, the tip and the nasion – the top of the nose where it meets the eyeline.

Dr Adrian Evans, who conducted the research at the University of Bath, said scanning noses might be an easier way to verify an identity than iris and fingerprint scans. He says the PhotoFace system may eventually play a large role in cracking down on crime and terrorism.

Governments and authorities need to be able to uniquely recognise humans based upon their intrinsic physical characteristics, known as biometrics.

Dr Evans said: "Noses are prominent facial features, and yet their use as a biometric has been largely unexplored. We wanted to find out how good they could be at recognising individuals from a database.

" There's no one magic biometric – irises are a powerful biometric, but can be difficult to capture accurately and can easily be obscured by eyelids or glasses.

"Noses, however, are much easier to photograph and are harder to conceal, so a system that recognises noses would work better with an unco-operative subject or for covert surveillance."

Researchers chose the nose because, unlike other facial features used for biometrics such as eyes or ears, they are difficult to conceal and aren't changed much by facial expression.

Professor Melvyn Smith, of the University of the West of England, said researchers use three characteristics in their analysis.

He said: "It works by taking photos lit by a flash from several angles so that four images are taken in very rapid succession of every point on the face, each under different, controlled lighting conditions.

"The software then works out the colour, surface orientation and depth of each point on the face by analysing the shading within each of the photos.

"The technique is able to achieve a level of detail that is beyond current competing technologies and can be extended to a myriad of other applications, ranging from industrial surface inspection to cosmetics."

For several years "nose prints" have been used by pedigree dog owners to give their pet a unique identification.

The nose print of a dog is as unique as a fingerprint, and dogs can be positively identified the same way.

The Canadian Kennel Club has accepted nose prints as proof of identity since 1938, but the technique has never been applied to humans.