There are many people who suffer from some of the skin diseases. These diseases have a strong influence on the process of fingerprint recognition. People with fingerprint diseases are unable to use fingerprint scanners, which is discriminating for them, since they are not allowed to use their fingerprints for the authentication purposes. First in this paper the various diseases, which might influence functionality of the fingerprint-based systems, are introduced, mainly from the medical point of view. This overview is followed by some examples of diseased finger fingerprints, acquired both from dactyloscopic card and electronic sensors. At the end of this paper the proposed fingerprint image enhancement algorithm is described.

3D face reconstruction algorithms from images and videos are applied to many fields, from plastic surgery to the entertainment sector, thanks to their advantageous features. However, when looking at forensic applications, 3D face reconstruction must observe strict requirements that still make its possible role in bringing evidence to a lawsuit unclear. An extensive investigation of the constraints, potential, and limits of its application in forensics is still missing. Shedding some light on this matter is the goal of the present survey, which starts by clarifying the relation between forensic applications and biometrics, with a focus on face recognition. Therefore, it provides an analysis of the achievements of 3D face reconstruction algorithms from surveillance videos and mugshot images and discusses the current obstacles that separate 3D face reconstruction from an active role in forensic applications. Finally, it examines the underlying datasets, with their advantages and limitations, while proposing alternatives that could substitute or complement them.

This paper is devoted to new optical methods, which are supposed to be used for liveness detection on fingers. First we describe the basics about fake finger use in fingerprint recognition process and the possibilities of liveness detection. Then we continue with introducing three new liveness detection methods, which we developed and tested in the scope of our research activities—the first one is based on measurement of the pulse, the second one on variations of optical characteristics caused by pressure change, and the last one is based on reaction of skin to illumination with different wavelengths. The last part deals with the influence of skin diseases on fingerprint recognition, especially on liveness detection.

Finger vein recognition has evolved into a major biometric trait in recent years. Despite various improvements in recognition accuracy and usability, finger vein recognition is still far from being perfect as it suffers from low-contrast images and other imaging artefacts. Three-dimensional or multi-perspective finger vein recognition technology provides a way to tackle some of the current problems, especially finger misplacement and rotations. In this work we present a novel multi-perspective finger vein capturing device that is based on mirrors, in contrast to most of the existing devices, which are usually based on multiple cameras. This new device only uses a single camera, a single illumination module and several mirrors to capture the finger at different rotational angles. To derive the need for this new device, we at first summarise the state of the art in multi-perspective finger vein recognition and identify the potential problems and shortcomings of the current devices.

Travelling is becoming available for more and more people. Millions of people are on a way every day. That is why a better control over global human transfer and a more reliable identity check is desired. A recent trend in a field of personal identification documents is to use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology and biometrics, especially (but not only) in passports. This paper provides an insight into the electronic passports (also called e-passport or ePassport) implementation chosen in the Czech Republic. Such a summary is needed for further studies of biometric passports implementation security and biometric passports analysis. A separate description of the Czech solution is a prerequisite for a planned analysis, because of the uniqueness of each implementation. (Each country can choose the implementation details within a range specified by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation); moreover, specific security mechanisms are optional and can be omitted).