Buffalo, New York played a prominent role in the development of the first computerized fingerprint identification system. Calspan Corporation (formerly Cornell Aeronautical Lab) performed this work for the FBI in the 1970s, and for many years had an ongoing contractual relationship to enhance and upgrade the system. As a result, the region saw the development of considerable expertise in the science of fingerprint identification.
While working on one of these Calspan FBI contracts, Dr. John Schneider came to recognize the value of reliable fingerprint identification as well as the shortcomings of the optical technology being used. Ultra-Scan was later founded by Dr. Schneider and Frank Keeney, former president of Nanodata Computer Corporation, to conduct research into alternate imaging technologies to determine if a more reliable approach could be found. By 1993, they had concluded that ultrasound was the most promising modality for the application and began work to develop a system that would use acoustic energy (or sound) instead of light, to capture fingerprint images.
In 1996, Ultra-Scan introduced the world’s first ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, a major breakthrough in the emerging field of biometrics. That year, the Company’s work was recognized with the prestigious R&D Top 100 Award as one of the world’s most technologically innovative products. During the next few years, the Company developed and field-tested several high-end ultrasonic fingerprint scanning systems including both hardware and software. At the same time, company engineers continued to advance the use of ultrasonics for fingerprint identification and Ultra-Scan now holds a number of key patents related to the technology. Following the events of September 11, the company experienced a sharp increase in demand for its systems, as the industry and the general public came to realize that accuracy was critical for any true biometric system. In early 2002, Ultra-Scan announced it would expand efforts to license its technology to leading OEMs and system integrators in the security industry with the goal of making ultrasonic technology the standard for the next generation of true identity fingerprint readers.