Palm readers to replace ATM cards?

A Japanese bank will introduce ATMs that use palm scanners in place of cash cards, PC World reports.

Ogaki Kyoristu Bank said the new machines will allow customers to withdraw or deposit cash and check their balances by placing their hands on a scanner and entering their birthdays plus a PIN. The ATMs will initially be installed at 10 banks, as well as a drive-through ATM and two mobile banks, from September.

Biometric technology has been boosting the security of a greater array of electronic devices in recent years, including homes, businesses, schools and even wallets, Gizmag writes.

The technology has also made its way into ATMs as a way to beat card skimmers, but these machines still require customers to insert a card.

Currently, ATMs with integrated biometric sensors identify customers by comparing biometric data stored on their cards against data gathered by the ATM - be it fingerprints, palm prints or iris patterns. This means that if customers lose their cards, they can't access their cash.

Network World says the bank will use the new ATMs at fixed locations and in its two roving banks, which are built from large mobile homes. One is meant for emergencies and is equipped with a satellite dish on the roof and a large screen for television broadcasts. The other is in use in areas where there are no bank branches, moving between set locations such as shopping mall parking lots throughout the week.

The palm-scanning technology in the ATMs was developed by Fujitsu. It uses the vein patterns in a person's hand to check their identity. Fujitsu has said its technology can quickly differentiate between hundreds of thousands of people.