Could earprint identification be computerised? An illustrated proof of concept paper.

To date, the ear remains an under-utilised part of the human body for use in forensic practice. Although the ear has been used since the nineteenth century as part of the process of human identification, in this particular function its use, to date, remains low and in the case of earprints, controversial. A limited number of publications exist related to methods used for the purpose of ear image identification and the growing field of ear biometrics but to date, a computerised system for earprint identification does not exist. This paper illustrates the concept of a computerised earprint identification system. To assist those considering similar developments we share the concept problems and possible solutions we have identified and encountered to date, and highlight the advantages for such a system over traditional manual methods used for earprint identification.