Human Ear Recognition

Currently, there are no commercially available ear recognition systems. However, the future holds tremendous potential for incorporating ear images with face images in a multibiometric configuration, even as researchers continue to refine the technology. For example, assigning an ear image to one of several predefined categories could allow for rapid retrieval of candidate identities from a large database. In addition, the use of ear thermograms could help mitigate the problem of occlusion due to hair and accessories. As the technology matures, both forensic and biometric domains will benefit from this biometric.