Biometric sensor technologies are mainly separated into two major categories: the static type such as fingerprint, iris, face, palm vein recognition; and the dynamic type such as voiceprint, heartbeat and gait recognition. In 2016, fingerprint recognition sensor shipments were around 780 million units, accounting for 96% of all biometric sensor product shipments. As more new sensor technologies will begin entering the market, biometric sensor product shipments are expected to achieve a CAGR of 31.2% from 2017-2020.
In 2016, most biometric sensor products were being adopted in consumer electronics devices such as smartphones, followed by financial applications and surveillance systems, according to Digitimes Research's new research report
Human’s static characteristics have their own uniqueness and are difficult to duplicate or fabricate, while dynamic characteristics may change. For example, catching a cold could alter a user's voice. Therefore, adoption of a sensor technology requires consideration of the application’s characteristics.
Currently, the fingerprint recognition is the most commonly used biometric technology, especially after Apple adopted a fingerprint sensor as a standard feature for its smartphone products after the iPhone 5s. It has prompted other smartphone vendors to follow suit and start using fingerprint sensors for their products.
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