Footsteps can Identify People in a Manner Akin to Fingerprints

A method that can identify people from the way they walk with almost as much accuracy as fingerprints has been developed by scientists.

The technique can identify a unique "pressure signature" in their footsteps, the Telegraph reported.

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By analysing more than 100,000 pressure points created by people's feet as they walk, the scientists were able to pinpoint 70 key patterns that are unique to an individual.

They hope the system could provide a new form of "biometric" identification that could work alongside retinal scanning and fingerprints at airports.

The only disadvantage is that the system can only identify people if they are not wearing shoes.

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Dr John Goulermas, an electrical engineer at the University of Liverpool, said they were hoping to develop the system so it will work when people are wearing shoes too.

"This is more complicated as the stiffness of the sole and the treads can change things, but it should still be possible," he said.

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"At the moment there is a key point when people go through airport security where they have to remove their shoes to walk through the scanners and so by incorporating pressure pads into the floor it would be possible to identify individuals."

When asked to then identify individuals from their footsteps, the system was correct 99.6 percent of the time.

Source-ANI