Northrop Grumman [NOC] has introduced a ruggedized, handheld, multimodal biometrics collection device that is basically part of a tablet-size computer that it plans to offer for the defense, homeland security, and law enforcement markets, joining several smaller firms that are already competing with similar products. The five- pound BioTRAC system is an open hardware platform that accommodates Windows or Linux-based commercial and government off-the-shelf biometric collection matching software. The device, which will be manufactured by Black Diamond Advanced Technology, which designed the system based on its SwitchBack MT computer, features four fingerprint sensors, facial image and dual iris image capture, a contact and contactless smart card reader, one and two-dimensional barcode reading, GPS, and wireless communications. The BioTRAC can also download captured cell phone data. The device can do complete identity enrollment in less than two minutes, Northrop Grumman says. Currently, L-1 Identity Solutions [ID] is the market leader in handheld, multimodal biometric devices having sold thousands of units to the U.S. military. Cogent Systems [COGT] and Cross Match Technologies also sell similar systems. What sets the BioTRAC devices is that it’s also a multi-mission computer, Dave Machuga, director of Biometrics and RFID Systems for Northrop Grumman’s Information Systems sector, tells TR2. The system is aimed at reducing the number of devices a person would have to carry, he says. The system can also do English to Arabic language translation and Arabic to English all by voice, and collect handwriting and voice samples, he adds. It can also store “millions of records” for a biometrics database, he says. Currently Northrop Grumman’s partners on BioTRAC include UPEK for the fingerprint sensors, SRI International for the language translation, Iritech for iris imaging, Aware [AWRE] for fingerprint software, Smart Sensors for the iris software, and Cognitech for facial recognition software.
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