Does the Angle of a Fingerprint Scanner Affect User Performance?

Abstract

As the deployment of biometric technologies such as slap fingerprint scanners has become more widespread in government applications there is an increased awareness of the human-computer interaction that such technologies involve. User behavior can impact operational system performance especially throughput and the quality of the collected biometric samples. This paper describes a study for the Department of Homeland Security that examined the impact on the time required to collect fingerprints and the quality of fingerprint images when fingerprint scanners are angled at tall counters to accommodate a broader range of visitors. Angling the fingerprint scanner had no impact on user performance.