MSU computer scientist develops tattoo-matching technology

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Biker Rights Issues Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
A Michigan State University computer scientist has developed a tattoo-matching technology that is expected to be used nationally by law enforcement agencies to solve crimes, officials announced this week.
Anil Jain developed the program over the last two years that will allow police to use a central database to search tattoo images and help them identify suspects and victims. MorphoTrak, a top supplier of identification systems to law enforcement and other markets, has acquired Jain's technology.
"Our customers see it as having tremendous value for intelligence purposes," said Eve Fillion, spokeswoman for Alexandria, Va.-based MorphoTrak.
More than 36 percent of people from 18-40 have tattoos, according to the Pew Research Center. That figure is higher among criminals, and police have collected tattoo images for years.
Currently, law officials use keywords to search tattoos that have been collected. But that is subjective, Jain said. His technology would be more accurate and efficient by using shape, color and texture to match tattoos between subjects of interest and those already collected by law enforcement, such as tattoos identifying gang members, he said.
The technology could likely be integrated into the FBI's Next Generation Identification System, which is being built to expand the agency's fingerprint identification system to include face and iris recognition, Jain said.
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http://www.detnews.com/article/20100123/BIZ04/1230314/1013/