A biometric identification device can be used to automatically verify the identity of a person by some physical attribute, such as a fingerprint, a voice-print, an iris pattern, or a facial image. One type of device, the hand geometry reader, is in active and visible use at the San Francisco International Airport to control access to secured areas. Other types of devices are in use by the Immigration and Nationalization Service, to verify visas, and by state and local governments, to limit welfare frau d and monitor prisoners in home incarceration programs. The FBI's Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), currently under development, will eventually deploy fingerprint readers in police squad cars around the country, allowing police immediate access to FBI fingerprint records on detained persons.

Despite 20 years of predictions that biometric devices will become "the next big thing", proliferation has been slow because of technical, economic, human-factor, legal, ethical, and sociological considerations. Recent events, however, such as highly publicized crimes, social service fraud and computer security breaches, have moved some people to call for tighter security measures in airports, schools and government buildings, and for closer monitoring of those applying for government benefits and services. With the cost of biometric devices dropping as the cost of human security guards rises, there is clearly a movement toward the increased use of automated mechanisms for identity verification.

The creation and use of biometric devices raises a panoply of questions -- technical, economic, legal, ethical, and social. In 1993, responding to the increasing interest in biometric identification, the federal government created a government-wide biometric interest group, called the Biometric Consortium, to study and address a wide-range of issues inherent in the use of automatic identification devices. Participants in the Biometric Consortium include federal security and law enforcement agencies, National Laboratories, Federally-Funded Research Corporations, the military services, and a wide variety of other federal groups. Given the inter-disciplinary nature of the questions raised by the deployment of biometric devices, participation of a university is vital to the government's overall effort. San Jose State University is the only university participating in the Biometric Consortium. Prof. NabilIbrahim, the SJSU College of Engineering Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, recently declared SJSU's intent to work with the Biometrics Consortium to develop a "world-class center of biometrics research excellence". To this end, the College has named Dr. Jim Wayman to the position of Biometrics Research Director.

In October, 1995, San Jose State University received the first major grant for biometrics research to be awarded by the federal government since creation of the Biometrics Consortium. An SJSU inter-departmental team received $400,000 from the Federal Highway Administration for technical support in implementing a biometrics identifier into the Commercial Driver's License Identification System, as legislatively mandated by Congress.

In October, 1995, San Jose State University received the first major grant for biometrics research to be awarded by the federal government since creation of the Biometrics Consortium. An SJSU inter-departmental team received $400,000 from the Federal Highway Administration for technical support in implementing a biometrics identifier into the Commercial Driver's License Identification System, as legislatively mandated by Congress. The SJSU team is currently putting together the final report for this project. When the report has been accepted by the Federal Highway Administration we hope to make it available to interested parties.

More recently SJSU was awarded the contract establishing the National Biometric Test Center. The Center's Laboratory and offices are located in the Engineering Building on the SJSU Campus. Additionally, a new course on biometrics will be offered at SJSU this Fall semester, 1997.