In this article titled as "Forensic
Comparison and Matching of Fingerprints: Using Quantitative Image Measures for
Estimating Error Rates through Understanding and Predicting Difficult",
the author delves into how latent fingerprints are viewed through high tech
imagery.
| Latent Print |
A database of fingerprint images had been created by this company's use of latent print identification. Tests here were completed on expert forensic examiners in order to see how well trained they really were "For example, in the study reported here, images appeared on a computer monitor; examiners were limited in comparison time for each pair; and judgments were constrained to indicating that a pair of prints came from the same source or different sources, i.e., “inconclusive” was not a permitted response for difficult comparisons. These features of our design were chosen so that we could collect important data, including best-guess match determinations for difficult comparisons, and to permit us to obtain enough data to allow us to explore the set of image characteristics that might predict difficulty."
| Model predictions of average accuracy for 20 test print pairs plotted against observed average |
The motive that this company has is to prove that technology like this may be putting people out of jobs soon enough which I believe to be extremely upsetting for people in my major as this is our hope and some peoples dreams so if these jobs die out, then companies will find no reason to hire people.
Accuracy in the field of forensic science is major. As I have mentioned in previous articles that validity is what keeps a forensic scientist moving. Whenever a mistake is made, a job can be lost. It's amazing that these professionals were outworked by these machines which to me shows that either they are being taught incorrectly or aren't being descriptive enough. This angers me to no end because if I or someone in my family was being represented by a professional examiner, I would expect this person to know absolutely everything their field and job.
This article created a huge impact on me because now I am very excited to try and work harder than these people who are settling for mediocrity and aren't working as hard as they possibly could to be the best they can. This job is about precision and accuracy and I definitely am striving to be 100% right each time because from this article, it clearly shows that these people are settling for much less without hesitation even if they are under a test. I believe that that these image measurements may be the key to accurate fingerprinting in the future.
Kellman, Phillip J. "Forensic
Comparison and Matching of Fingerprints: Using Quantitative Image Measures for
Estimating Error Rates through Understanding and Predicting Difficulty." PLOS ONE:.
PLOS One, 2 May 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
This is a good post. I am doing my blog on biometrics, so I read a lot on fingerprint scanning and things. Somehow, I have not thought about using computers and software to perform police and forensic work before reading this. I hope this doesn’t come across wrong but how do you know those in this study were settling for mediocrity or that they were taught wrong? I think it’s possible that the machines are just superior to the human analysis. Maybe the professionals were being as accurate as they could be, but the machines picked up little things that the people couldn’t see (I don’t know how forensics really works so I could be dead wrong). I would like to see the same experiment performed with the best of the best in the field.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading your article, I thought about how slowly computers are taking away jobs for many people but no matter what, computers can’t think for themselves. Someone once told me do not become a pharmacist because now current pharmacists have less work to do since the computers at a pharmacy are programmed to detect interactions and things like that. However, working at a pharmacy I see pharmacists being able to help people more…yes the computer does pick up some interactions and it does print out a list of warnings and side effects automatically for people but there has been many times when the computers have stopped working, or sometimes even computers make mistakes. Anyways, my point was basically that computers are very helpful but we will always need people who work hard like you to get the job done. Goodluck!
ReplyDeleteVijay,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, I always found it cool that by just a single fingerprint you can identify a person. I watch a lot of Criminal Minds and Law & Order most of the time they identify people by a single fingerprint which leads them to the victims and criminals themselves. Agreeing with Suria though, technology and computers are steadily taking the jobs of many people which is really sad for people coming out of college looking for employment. But computers cant really think for themselves nor do they have a mind of their own. I do wish you luck in your field. Great blog post !
Vijay, I think it is neat how fingerprinting can play such a vital role. I do agree with you that mistakes play a huge role. Especially with fingerprinting where a mistake can be the difference between someone going free or being convicted for a crime they committed. I think people watch these tv shows that make it seem so easy, but the process, in reality, is a lot more complex. I takes a lot more patience and time to go about solving a crime using fingerprints or using any evidence for that matter. We see some cases that take years to come to a conclusion and we also see cases that never get solved. I wish you the best of luck in your field.
ReplyDeleteVijay,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you are very passionate about your topic. Indeed fingerprint analyzing requires extreme accuracy and a mistake can be crucial. If an incorrect print were measure then that could cause an innocent person to be accused. As humans, even professionals are bound to make mistakes, but it is still too odd relay solely on a machine. If a machine could do all the work precisely on the first try then what I the point of having forensics? Great post and keep it up!
Well Vijay looks like computers are putting people out of their jobs once again. Once a field finds an easier way to complete a task without having to pay someone, everyone and their pet duck decides to do the same. Looks like you will have to find other aspects of forensics to study just so that you can stay versatile and ahead of the game. This concept is a lot like ballistics investigating. There are a couple computer programs out there that help detect what caliber, what pistol, and what kind of cartridge fires a found projectile. There's even ones out there now that can tell you what sort of back stop the projectile had, (ie. what the projectile hit after being fired).
ReplyDeleteGreat article and it fits right in with what my blogs are about with biometric technology. Finger prints are unique identification methods that tell exactly who we are. Fingerprint scanning is only one of the many different forms of biometrics and it can be shown from your peer reviewed journal just how powerful it can be. As it is used to identify criminals who can only be identified by their own fingerprint. I also like the way that you incorporated a new way to look at processing the data by use of computers and other advanced software. It is a stretch but I know the ideas are there.
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