Content area
Full Text
Abstract: To date, the impact of tactical biometric systems has been limited by designs driven by subsystem performance metrics and little consideration for the operational environment in which they are deployed. The design of these systems may be significantly improved by the application of systems engineering practices that consider these and other factors. This study discusses limitations of the current system design approach and proposes a methodology to improve designs. These improvements in design have the potential to dramatically increase the effectiveness and acceptance of biometric technologies in operational environments.
1 Introduction
Biometrics is an automated method of recognising an individual based on physiological and/or behavioural characteristics [1]. Biometric technologies are increasingly deployed by governments in civil, military and legal applications including
* tracking and prosecuting criminals,
* controlling distrib entitlement programs, controlling distribution of humanitarian relief or
* monitoring entrance/egress at border crossings and
* identifying friend/foe in tactical military environments.
Tactical biometric systems are a class of biometric devices used on or near the battlefield to fix the identity of individuals. Biometric systems provide war fighters with the ability to obtain contextual information on past encounters based on recognition of the individual. These systems serve as 'mission enablers for force protection, intelligence, physical and logical access control, identity management/ credentialing and interception operations' [2].
Deployment of biometric systems in military missions is ongoing and expanding. The overall design of these systems is crucial to their success because design impacts both operational viability and biometric mission effectiveness [The authors use the term operational viability to refer to a devices propensity to be used by war fighters: 'Is it worth carrying into the battlefield?'. Biometric effectiveness refers to the performance of a biometric system: 'What is the quality of the collected biometric data?'.]. In our opinion, the designs of systems that are currently (2012) in the field overlooked key systems issues during design; these include: device usability, consideration of the field environment, human factors for both operator and subject and the general challenges of high-quality data collection in the 'last tactical mile'-communications and database positioning in high stress environments.
Details about if, when, where and why an individual was previously encountered are valuable knowledge to a soldier in the field, as well as...