All in your hand: Chinese internet giant Tencent announces global expansion plans for palm scan technology

While palm scans may seem straightforward, there are actually three distinct ways our hands can provide data - palm veins, prints, and geometry - according to Associate Professor Terence Sim, who also serves as the Vice Dean of NUS Office of Admissions. Dr Sim explained that veins, or "vascular biometrics" in technical terms, are highly accurate and difficult to spoof. "It can distinguish between identical twins, which would fool most facial recognition systems," he said. He added that acquiring a palm vein image is also contactless, making it "more hygienic compared to contact-based biometrics like fingerprints." He noted that "contactless means you don't have to clean the surface as often." However, Dr Sim cautioned that one downside of scanning vein information is that "it reveals medical conditions, such as oxygenation levels, pregnancy, and stress levels”.

Channel News Asia, 5 September 2024