A pilot application study of densitometric image analysis as a potential comparative evaluation method for visualized fingerprints

The current comparison methods with scoring systems that are used to compare visualized latent fingerprints (LF) have disadvantages. Evaluators using these methods are prone to make errors and fail to discriminate LFs correctly to notice the differences among those LFs. Therefore, a comparative and quantitative evaluation method that is capable of obtaining more objective and quantitative results is needed. Densitometric image analysis (DIA) is used in other fields as a reliable semi-quantitative comparison method. To apply DIA to LFs, the potential variables that can occur during the DIA process were tested. The visualized ridges of LFs can be compared using the concentration of dots against the background to make it possible to analyze the ridges with DIA. The variables that can be present during the DIA process include the thickness of the analysis line, the number of ridges to be taken, the number of divided zones within each of the fingerprints, and the angles of the analysis line against the ridge lines that were selected. From the analysis of the inked fingerprints and circular lines that are similar to fingerprints, the angle of the analysis lines with the ridge line was the most significant variable. The preliminary test result was applied to the comparison of LFs that were developed with the powder method and then compared with the AFIS analysis. A similar trend was found, and a more detailed and semi-quantitative comparison of the visualized LFs was possible. In the future, it is necessary to check the evaluative ability of the DIA method by analyzing the visualized LFs with other various development methods. However, DIA is currently an option that can be used as an objective comparative evaluation method during fingerprint studies with supplementary role.