In the past few years, the interest in biometric techniques has increased exponentially. Biometrics is an important field of study in forensic science. Distinguishing human characteristics such as fingerprints, facial features, speech and DNA are used in the investigation and solving of serious crimes, among other things. The UT is the only academic institution in the Netherlands that conducts structural research into forensic biometrics. For the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), the University of Twente is the connection to the academic world in this field. This collaboration is strengthened and expanded upon with the appointment of Didier Meuwly, NFI principal scientist, as Professor of Forensic Biometrics.
Thanks to popular TV shows such as CSI, forensic investigation has become well-known in recent years. The NFI spends a large part of their research capacity on cases that have possibly been a criminal offence. As one of the four principal scientists of the NFI, Didier Meuwly (Switzerland, 1968) makes an important contribution to the education of experts and to the quality of case investigation. Meuwly recently became part-time Professor at the UT of the newly established Forensic Biometrics chair within the department of Services, Cybersecurity and Safety (SCS) of the Centre for Telematics and Information Technology (CTIT) research institute. He is mainly going to perform research on fingerprint recognition and the application of biometrics in forensic cases. In the same department, Raymond Veldhuis, who was appointed Professor at the UT last summer, specializes in biometrics, including facial recognition. Veldhuis is, among other things, working on the Face Recognition project for the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), in which researchers try to automate and objectify the research methods of forensic experts in the field of facial recognition.
Scientifically anchored
"Forensic research is an important domain for the NFI, and at the UT we can continue to work on a scientific programme," Meuwly explains. "Biometrics can be applied to more than just the furnishing of proof in court. It is also useful in other stages of crime prevention, such as the locating of people or identity theft. The forensic methods have been further developed and the role of the forensic investigator has changed. We are much better able to translate certain scores from forensic biometric research into objective evidential value and distinction. In the field of forensic biometrics, developments are made at a fast rate. In this way, forensic research is scientifically anchored. The UT is one of the larger academic institutes in the field of biometrics in Western Europe. Six PhD candidates are working on a forensic subject in Twente. The UT proves her social relevance in part because of its connection to the NFI."
More information
For more information, please contact UT Science Information Officer Jochem Vreeman (06 1222 1253).
