ECG Signals for Biometric Applications - Are we there yet?

Carlos Carreiras, André Lourenço, Ana Fred, Rui Ferreira

2014

Abstract

The potential of the electrocardiographic (ECG) signal as a biometric trait has been ascertained in the literature over the past decade. The inherent characteristics of the ECG make it an interesting biometric modality, given its universality, intrinsic aliveness detection, continuous availability, and inbuilt hidden nature. These properties enable the development of novel applications, where non-intrusive and continuous authentication are critical factors. Examples include, among others, electronic trading platforms, the gaming industry, and the auto industry, in particular for car sharing programs and fleet management solutions. However, there are still some challenges to overcome in order to make the ECG a widely accepted biometric. In particular, the questions of uniqueness (inter-subject variability) and permanence over time (intra-subject variability) are still largely unanswered. In this paper we focus on the uniqueness question, presenting a preliminary study of our biometric recognition system, testing it on a database encompassing 618 subjects. We also performed tests with subsets of this population. The results reinforce that the ECG is a viable trait for biometrics, having obtained an Equal Error Rate of 9:01% and an Error of Identification of 15:64% for the entire test population.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Carreiras C., Lourenço A., Fred A. and Ferreira R. (2014). ECG Signals for Biometric Applications - Are we there yet? . In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics - Volume 2: IVC&ITS, (ICINCO 2014) ISBN 978-989-758-040-6, pages 765-772. DOI: 10.5220/0005160507650772

in Bibtex Style

@conference{ivc&its14,
author={Carlos Carreiras and André Lourenço and Ana Fred and Rui Ferreira},
title={ECG Signals for Biometric Applications - Are we there yet?},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics - Volume 2: IVC&ITS, (ICINCO 2014)},
year={2014},
pages={765-772},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0005160507650772},
isbn={978-989-758-040-6},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics - Volume 2: IVC&ITS, (ICINCO 2014)
TI - ECG Signals for Biometric Applications - Are we there yet?
SN - 978-989-758-040-6
AU - Carreiras C.
AU - Lourenço A.
AU - Fred A.
AU - Ferreira R.
PY - 2014
SP - 765
EP - 772
DO - 10.5220/0005160507650772