New Simprints Biometric Scanner to Support Humanitarian Causes with SecuGen Tech

Simprints has launched the latest version of its Vero fingerprint scanner. The Vero 2.0 is built with a SecuGen fingerprint module and an ARM Cortex-M0 32-bit MCU, and can be paired with a mobile device thanks to its NFC and Bluetooth capabilities.

The Simprints scanner is specifically designed to support health and humanitarian efforts in impoverished parts of the world. To that end, NGOs and government agencies use the Vero to identify the recipients of financial aid and other relief services, and to make sure that those services reach the intended beneficiaries.

“Simprints helps us save time and labor. We like working with the scanner because it’s easier to identify patients,” explained a community research assistant in Malawi.

The Vero will also be used to advance vaccination efforts. In 2019, Simprints partnered with NEC and the Gavi Vaccine Alliance to create reliable immunization records for young children, and both organizations contributed to the development of the Vero 2.0.

Simprints noted that people in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are more likely to have scars and worn fingerprints that make it more difficult to identify them with scanners that have been designed for Western markets. The Vero 2.0 was specifically designed to overcome those challenges, and to accurately identify individuals with rougher hands using a high-resolution SecuGen module that can capture images at 1,700 DPI. The Vero also boasts customizable LED colors that make the scanner more accessible.

“Simprints is an impressive group with an equally impressive dedication to doing good in the world,” said SecuGen CEO Won Lee. “It is a privilege to work with them to bring such an important product to fruition.”

Prima Electronic Services has been enlisted to manufacture 1,400 Vero 2.0 units for healthcare projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Simprints itself has already provided fingerprint scanners for more than a dozen partners, who have collectively reached over 387,000 people in Africa and South Asia. 

SecuGen, meanwhile, has published a cleaning guide to encourage proper hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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July 21, 2020 – by Eric Weiss