Police have had the finger of a dead man 3D printed in an attempt to unlock his smartphone. Police got Professor Anil Jain, a professor at Michigan State University, to recreate the fingers of the deceased person so they could unlock his phone.
According to a report by Fusion, the man in question was murdered, and police believed that there could be crucial information relating to his murder on his smartphone. This information could potentially include messages, call logs, or other data that might provide leads or evidence to solve the case.
The Role of Fingerprint Technology in Criminal Investigations
The police already had the man’s fingerprints on file as he had been arrested previously. This prior arrest allowed them to create a scan of the fingerprint they had on file. Professor Jain and his PhD student, Sunpreet Arora, then used advanced 3D printing technology to create replicas of the man’s fingers. This process involved meticulous attention to detail to ensure that the 3D printed fingers were as accurate as possible.
However, these 3D printed fingers could not be used on their own to unlock the phone. Most fingerprint readers are capacitive, meaning they rely on tiny electrical circuits to function. Capacitive fingerprint scanners work by detecting the electrical conductivity of the skin, which poses a challenge when using non-living materials.
To overcome this problem, the researchers coated the 3D printed fingers in a thin metallic layer. This metallic coating mimics the electrical properties of human skin, allowing the fingerprint scanner to read the 3D printed replicas as if they were real fingers. This innovative approach highlights the intersection of technology and forensic science in modern criminal investigations.
Ethical and Legal Implications
The use of 3D printing technology to recreate a deceased person’s fingerprints raises several ethical and legal questions. One major concern is the issue of consent. Since the individual is deceased, they cannot provide consent for their biometric data to be used in this manner. This situation brings up broader discussions about privacy rights and the extent to which law enforcement can go to obtain evidence.
Additionally, there are concerns about the potential misuse of such technology. If 3D printed fingerprints can be used to unlock smartphones, it opens up possibilities for unauthorized access to personal devices. This could lead to privacy breaches and unauthorized data access, raising questions about the security of biometric authentication methods.
Despite these concerns, the primary goal of the police in this case was to gather evidence that could help solve a murder. The potential benefits of obtaining critical information from the victim’s smartphone were deemed to outweigh the ethical and legal challenges. This case serves as an example of how technology can be leveraged in innovative ways to aid criminal investigations.
There are no details as yet on whether the police were actually able to unlock the smartphone belonging to the murder victim. The success of this endeavor would depend on various factors, including the accuracy of the 3D printed fingerprints and the effectiveness of the metallic coating in mimicking human skin.
The use of 3D printing technology to recreate a deceased person’s fingerprints represents a significant advancement in forensic science. While it offers new possibilities for solving crimes, it also raises important ethical and legal questions that need to be addressed. As technology continues to evolve, it is crucial to strike a balance between leveraging its potential for good and safeguarding individual privacy rights.
Source: Techmeme
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
