Earlier this year we gave you a preview of the Fujitsu hand scanner called the PalmSecure, but at the time the device was a just another creepy/cool gadget bound for the clearance bin of some Akihabara recycler. Now news comes in that Fujistu, maker of PalmSecure, has teamed up with Siemens to actually deploy the device into the real world. The combination of Siemens' "ID Center" (an IT solution that will administer the biometric data) with Fujitsu's PalmSecure will allow the device to be used in various scenarios including ATMs, hospitals and public-sector areas like airports and local government offices.

The PalmSecure maps the distinct vein pattern under the skin on the palm of a person's hand to confirm that person's identity. The process brings to mind the emerging technology of retinal scans (currently used experimentally at some banks), but the PalmSecure seems much less invasive, so it has a better shot to become popular. Remember that scene in Minority Report when the tiny spider police-bot burn-scans Tom Cruise's new Japanese eyeballs? That near-future scene would be much less painful (albeit, less cinematically interesting) if the 'bots simply ran quick PalmSecure scan. Thumbs up on this one if it's really the retinal-scan killer it appears to be. — Adario Strange

Via Siemens Corporation

Have a gander at the PalmSecure system in action after the jump.