Ten-print fingerprint self-captures: Graphics-only user guidance without language

Users of biometric systems have expanded from traditional law enforcement operators to the general population with diverse backgrounds. Past research has shown that usability was improved when users received real-time system feedback regarding their hand positioning and how to correct any undesirable positions. Users can perform fingerprint self-captures successfully by following real-time textual corrective instructions as reported by Choong, Theofanos and Guan. This paper builds on their work with two research questions: what symbols best convey the textual instructions, and, can diverse international users perform ten-print fingerprint self-captures by following graphics-only guidance with no language? We developed a prototype biometric self-capture kiosk to investigate these research questions. A total of 140 subjects participated in two controlled experiments. The findings show that the self-capture prototype is a highly usable system with evidence of great potential for supporting diverse users. By following the real-time graphics-only guidance, participants quickly learned, and were comfortable and confident to capture their own fingerprints without any assistance.