skip to Main Content
ucsd design lab biometric

Researchers Develop Biometric Tool for Newborn Fingerprinting

Researchers Develop Biometric Tool for Newborn Fingerprinting

Researchers Develop Biometric Tool for Newborn Fingerprinting

Researchers at the University of California San Diego say they have dramatically advanced the science of biometric identification, creating a novel technology that can capture the fingerprints of infants and children, even on the first day of birth.

design lab eli spencer center for health ucsd
Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at
UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Design Lab at Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego.

“We think we’ve solved the problem of infant identification for both developed and developing countries,” said Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego. “This new technology allows for quick, accurate fingerprinting that may eliminate the need for paper identification and improve health care and security for millions.”

Globally, infant and childhood identification is needed for health care delivery, especially in remote or resource-limited areas, as well as for supporting efforts in disaster relief, human trafficking, migration and refugee settlement.

Spencer said other technologists have unsuccessfully attempted to extrapolate adult technologies to fingerprinting children. UC San Diego’s solution was to apply a human-centered design and develop the technology from the ground up with infants, caregivers and stakeholders in mind.

“Accurate identification of a child to enable timely vaccinations can improve care, reduce disease burden and save lives,” said Spencer. “This is just the beginning. Consider the usefulness of health identification to track not only vaccinations, but to aid or prevent infectious disease outbreaks. Consider that a person’s identity can now be secured at birth, potentially protecting from identity fraud many years in the future.

“Imagine the ability to assist refugees displaced by war or natural disasters to establish their identity so they can access needed food, aid and care. While a difficult subject, this technology may have applications to help prevent human trafficking and other causes of separation of children from their families.”

Spencer said the technology was conceived to accommodate the size, movements and behaviors of an infant. “Not only did we take into account the child’s physiology and reflexes, but also what would be culturally acceptable in different countries. For example, in some areas, facial photography is shunned, but photography of hands is acceptable.”


Researchers at UC San Diego have advanced the science of biometric identification, creating a novel technology that can capture the fingerprints of infants and children, even on the first day of birth.

The device, called ION, is a non-contact optical scanning technology that can image fingers and the palm of the hand. Prints are stored as encrypted templates that can be securely shared across platforms. The current device is rugged, portable, fits in the user’s hand and works with laptops and mobile platforms. While the technology was developed to identify infants and young children, it works with high accuracy with adults, making it the first biometric platform for all ages. Enhancements under development include the capability to also measure health biometrics and other clinical data, such as temperature, pulse, breathing and oxygen.

Institution Review Board-approved clinical trials are currently underway at UC San Diego and with collaborators in Mexico. Preliminary results show that the device delivers greater than 99 percent accuracy on re-identification after registration as early as two days after birth, with 90 percent accuracy for registration on the first day of birth.

“The next stage is to take the device into the field in Africa and South Asia and broaden the populations we evaluate,” said Spencer. “While the device is not yet commercially available, we hope to have it ready for market within 12 months. We want to continue to validate the platform, work through workflow, security and ethical issues, and, with funding, make the technology available on a staged basis to non-governmental organizations and government programs at local and national levels.”

Initial funding for this project came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Multidisciplinary team members at UC San Diego included doctors, engineers, designers, public health experts and behavioral scientists. Project contributors from UC San Diego include UC San Diego Health, Calit2/Qualcomm Institute, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and The Design Lab.

By: Jackie Carr
The article originally appeared on the UC San Diego Health website

Researchers at the University of California San Diego say they have dramatically advanced the science of biometric identification, creating a novel technology that can capture the fingerprints of infants and children, even on the first day of birth.

design lab eli spencer center for health ucsd
Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at
UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Design Lab at Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego.

“We think we’ve solved the problem of infant identification for both developed and developing countries,” said Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego. “This new technology allows for quick, accurate fingerprinting that may eliminate the need for paper identification and improve health care and security for millions.”

Globally, infant and childhood identification is needed for health care delivery, especially in remote or resource-limited areas, as well as for supporting efforts in disaster relief, human trafficking, migration and refugee settlement.

Spencer said other technologists have unsuccessfully attempted to extrapolate adult technologies to fingerprinting children. UC San Diego’s solution was to apply a human-centered design and develop the technology from the ground up with infants, caregivers and stakeholders in mind.

“Accurate identification of a child to enable timely vaccinations can improve care, reduce disease burden and save lives,” said Spencer. “This is just the beginning. Consider the usefulness of health identification to track not only vaccinations, but to aid or prevent infectious disease outbreaks. Consider that a person’s identity can now be secured at birth, potentially protecting from identity fraud many years in the future.

“Imagine the ability to assist refugees displaced by war or natural disasters to establish their identity so they can access needed food, aid and care. While a difficult subject, this technology may have applications to help prevent human trafficking and other causes of separation of children from their families.”

Spencer said the technology was conceived to accommodate the size, movements and behaviors of an infant. “Not only did we take into account the child’s physiology and reflexes, but also what would be culturally acceptable in different countries. For example, in some areas, facial photography is shunned, but photography of hands is acceptable.”


Researchers at UC San Diego have advanced the science of biometric identification, creating a novel technology that can capture the fingerprints of infants and children, even on the first day of birth.

The device, called ION, is a non-contact optical scanning technology that can image fingers and the palm of the hand. Prints are stored as encrypted templates that can be securely shared across platforms. The current device is rugged, portable, fits in the user’s hand and works with laptops and mobile platforms. While the technology was developed to identify infants and young children, it works with high accuracy with adults, making it the first biometric platform for all ages. Enhancements under development include the capability to also measure health biometrics and other clinical data, such as temperature, pulse, breathing and oxygen.

Institution Review Board-approved clinical trials are currently underway at UC San Diego and with collaborators in Mexico. Preliminary results show that the device delivers greater than 99 percent accuracy on re-identification after registration as early as two days after birth, with 90 percent accuracy for registration on the first day of birth.

“The next stage is to take the device into the field in Africa and South Asia and broaden the populations we evaluate,” said Spencer. “While the device is not yet commercially available, we hope to have it ready for market within 12 months. We want to continue to validate the platform, work through workflow, security and ethical issues, and, with funding, make the technology available on a staged basis to non-governmental organizations and government programs at local and national levels.”

Initial funding for this project came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Multidisciplinary team members at UC San Diego included doctors, engineers, designers, public health experts and behavioral scientists. Project contributors from UC San Diego include UC San Diego Health, Calit2/Qualcomm Institute, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and The Design Lab.

By: Jackie Carr
The article originally appeared on the UC San Diego Health website

Researchers at the University of California San Diego say they have dramatically advanced the science of biometric identification, creating a novel technology that can capture the fingerprints of infants and children, even on the first day of birth.

design lab eli spencer center for health ucsd
Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at
UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Design Lab at Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego.

“We think we’ve solved the problem of infant identification for both developed and developing countries,” said Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Qualcomm Institute at UC San Diego. “This new technology allows for quick, accurate fingerprinting that may eliminate the need for paper identification and improve health care and security for millions.”

Globally, infant and childhood identification is needed for health care delivery, especially in remote or resource-limited areas, as well as for supporting efforts in disaster relief, human trafficking, migration and refugee settlement.

Spencer said other technologists have unsuccessfully attempted to extrapolate adult technologies to fingerprinting children. UC San Diego’s solution was to apply a human-centered design and develop the technology from the ground up with infants, caregivers and stakeholders in mind.

“Accurate identification of a child to enable timely vaccinations can improve care, reduce disease burden and save lives,” said Spencer. “This is just the beginning. Consider the usefulness of health identification to track not only vaccinations, but to aid or prevent infectious disease outbreaks. Consider that a person’s identity can now be secured at birth, potentially protecting from identity fraud many years in the future.

“Imagine the ability to assist refugees displaced by war or natural disasters to establish their identity so they can access needed food, aid and care. While a difficult subject, this technology may have applications to help prevent human trafficking and other causes of separation of children from their families.”

Spencer said the technology was conceived to accommodate the size, movements and behaviors of an infant. “Not only did we take into account the child’s physiology and reflexes, but also what would be culturally acceptable in different countries. For example, in some areas, facial photography is shunned, but photography of hands is acceptable.”


Researchers at UC San Diego have advanced the science of biometric identification, creating a novel technology that can capture the fingerprints of infants and children, even on the first day of birth.

The device, called ION, is a non-contact optical scanning technology that can image fingers and the palm of the hand. Prints are stored as encrypted templates that can be securely shared across platforms. The current device is rugged, portable, fits in the user’s hand and works with laptops and mobile platforms. While the technology was developed to identify infants and young children, it works with high accuracy with adults, making it the first biometric platform for all ages. Enhancements under development include the capability to also measure health biometrics and other clinical data, such as temperature, pulse, breathing and oxygen.

Institution Review Board-approved clinical trials are currently underway at UC San Diego and with collaborators in Mexico. Preliminary results show that the device delivers greater than 99 percent accuracy on re-identification after registration as early as two days after birth, with 90 percent accuracy for registration on the first day of birth.

“The next stage is to take the device into the field in Africa and South Asia and broaden the populations we evaluate,” said Spencer. “While the device is not yet commercially available, we hope to have it ready for market within 12 months. We want to continue to validate the platform, work through workflow, security and ethical issues, and, with funding, make the technology available on a staged basis to non-governmental organizations and government programs at local and national levels.”

Initial funding for this project came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Multidisciplinary team members at UC San Diego included doctors, engineers, designers, public health experts and behavioral scientists. Project contributors from UC San Diego include UC San Diego Health, Calit2/Qualcomm Institute, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and The Design Lab.

By: Jackie Carr
The article originally appeared on the UC San Diego Health website

Read Next

Smart Streetlights

Community members call for end to ‘Smart Streetlights’ in San Diego

KUSI NEWS Interviews Design Lab Faculty Lilly Irani

More than a dozen community groups are calling on the City of San Diego to turn off thousands of cameras positioned on streetlights around San Diego.

The “Smart Streetlights” were approved by the San Diego City Council in December 2016, and there are currently 4,700 installed according to the city’s website.

The cameras collect real-time data including video and audio, which the city says helps save money and increase public safety. However, activists called the technology a major privacy and civil rights concern.

City officials have said that these streetlights are not being used for spying.
Design Lab Ucsd Elderly

Design for older people sucks. Here are four ways to fix it

Digital Arts editorial with Stefan Sagmeister and Design Lab Director Don Norman on designing for sixty-somethings.

Beginning in May, Alive Ventures launched a series of ongoing panels titled “Old People are Cool, Design for Them Sucks”, aiming to open up a discussion with the design community on how to better design for older adults. John Zapolski, founder of Alive Ventures, and design thought leader Ayse Birsel of Birsel + Seck, hosted the series of discussions, with guests including design luminaries such as Stefan Sagmeister and Don Norman.

“When I would visit him in retirement homes, I would see people who needed walkers and wouldn’t use them because it was a stigma,” said Norman. “They were so ugly and it sort of shouts out to the world, ‘Hey I’m old and crippled and therefore probably feeble minded as well,’ right? Well no, it’s wrong. And so I noticed that, but I didn’t pay much attention until I myself reached my eighties and started looking at my friends and other things and realised that, yes, people shunned a lot of things that are being made to help them because they don’t like to admit publicly they have problems.” - Don Norman
Grace Rieger

Grace Rieger on Designing for Healthcare | Design Chats


How might we use design to improve the efficiency of hospital operating rooms? Hear from Grace Rieger, Designer-in-Residence, as she talks us through one of her projects.

Design Chats is a video series where we sit down with design practitioners to answer questions about how they utilize human-centered design.

View our Design Chats playlist on the Design Lab YouTube Channel
Design Lab Michele Morris Forward

Why Does Design Matter: A Q&A With Design Forward Founder Michèle Morris

Michèle Morris currently serves as the Associate Director of the Design Lab at UC San Diego. She…

Design Lab Heads Downtown to Present New Strategies and Program to Take on Society’s Most Daunting Challenges

Last week, UC San Diego Design Lab Assistant Professor of Cognitive Science Steven Dow and…

Laura Spencer

Meet Laura Spencer, Designer-in-Residence at the Design Lab

As a leader for innovation and design in every avenue, The Design Lab prides itself on fostering talent with diverse backgrounds; and individuals who look to ask “how far can design’s impact reach?” Laura Spencer is one such talented individual, who currently occupies one of the Designer in Residence positions.  She is also currently a CUE (Computer Using Educators)  Board member, former President of SDCUE, the San Diego affiliate of CUE, and is a Founding Board Member of EquityEDU.

“As the Chief Academic Innovation Officer for Elite Academic Academy, a K-12 charter school in Southern California, I have to focus on bringing innovation into the curriculum,” explains Spencer, “I have to ask myself different questions. How can I implement design thinking into learning? How can I facilitate project based learning? How can I make education more meaningful?” with design thinking and project based learning. And again, just trying to find ways for education to be meaningful.” Spencer’s passion for education has founded her career since her introduction into the working world. In 2010, the educator graduated from Alliant International University- San Diego Scripps Ranch with an EdD in Educational Leadership and Administration. Since then, she has been heavily involved in roles, positions and curricula regarding education, leadership and innovation; such as her time as a Part-time Lecturer at University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education, and as a conference speaker across the country.
Back To Top