Academics to make science fiction fact

May 29 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal

ELECTRONIC “pets”, inspired by a science fiction book, which could solve privacy and security problems are being developed by North researchers.

The devices could be used as an alternative to passwords, Pin numbers and ID cards to keep personal details and accounts secure.

Professor Pamela Briggs, a psychologist at Northumbria University and computer scientist Dr Patrick Olivier, of Newcastle University, are working on the new technology.

Called biometric daemons, they borrow a concept from author Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series.

In the trilogy – recently turned into hit film The Golden Compass, starring James Bond actor Daniel Craig – people are accompanied by an animal daemon which is a physical representation of their soul. If the daemon is separated from its owner, it dies.

The biometric daemon, about the size of a credit card, would store an individual’s data and be carried with the owner at all times.

Prof Briggs and Dr Olivier believe the development could match the security of biometric systems and avoid privacy fears at the same time.

Dr Olivier said much of the technology required already exists – the problem now is to shrink it so it will fit on to something the size of a credit card.

He said: “The card would be able to recognise its own owner by various methods such as the way the person walks, their fingerprints and voiceprint, which are all unique.

“All the data would just be held on the card. The Government and other organisations would not have it, which would get round many of the privacy fears people have about ID cards.

“If the daemon is ‘happy’ that it is with its owner, it can be used to, for example, get money from a machine or access to a building or whatever.

“As soon as the daemon is away from its owner it will realise, become ‘unhappy’ and make some kind of signal such as a noise or something similar.

“It will not be able to be used and would eventually die if it wasn’t reunited with its owner. This would prevent valuable data being stolen and used by the wrong people. For different activities the level of reassurance the daemon needs could be different.

“For example, to just take a few pounds from a bank account one level of security, such as the way someone walks, would be enough.

“For larger amounts of money or things where security is more important, it would need the extra levels such as the fingerprint recognition to work.

“It was actually Professor Briggs’s idea. She read the book years ago and then thought of this idea. We are now trying to get funding for further research.

“We have talked about this idea at a couple of conferences around the world – we were in San Francisco last month – and the response has been encouraging from many technology companies.”

It will not be able to be used and would eventually die if it wasn’t reunited with its owner