title: Supporting fingerprint identification assessments using a skin stretch model - A preliminary study.
abstract: To support fingerprint expert opinion, this research proposes an approach that combines subjective human analysis (as currently applied by fingerprint practitioners) with a statistical test of the result. This approach relies on the hypothesis that there are limits to the distortion caused by skin stretch. Such limits can be modelled by applying a multivariate normal probability density function to the distances and angle formed by a marked ridge characteristic and the two closest neighbouring minutiae. This study presents a model tested on 5 donors in total. The "expected range" of distortion in a within-source comparison using 10 minutiae was determined and compared to between-source comparisons. The expected range of log probability densities for within-source comparisons marked with 10 minutiae was determined to be from -33.4 to -60.0, with all between-source data falling outside this range, between -83 and -305. These results suggest that the proposed generated metric could be a powerful tool for the assessment of fingerprint expert opinion in operational casework.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Specialist Operations, Australian Federal Police, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Comber
authors.affiliation: Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.affiliation: Information Technology & Engineering, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia; College of Engineering & Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: School of Science & Health, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lennard
authors.affiliation: Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Xanthe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Spindler
authors.affiliation: Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: claude.roux@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roux
mesh_terms: D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena
keywords: Distortion; Fingermark; Mathematical models; Minutiae; Ridge characteristics; Statistics