INDIANAPOLIS — The same technology we've used for years to unlock our smartphones is now being used to unlock our homes.
It's called "biometric security,” and it's becoming more affordable and more readily available to everyone.
As more and more Hoosiers are discovering, you don't need your house keys — you just need your finger.
“Biometric security is any type of security that utilizes your body to run a function, whether it's unlock a door or turn on a light or create a series of commands,” said Ben McCann, owner of Catalist Technology Integrators.
Biometric security is already a billion-dollar industry, and it's expected to quadruple in size over the next five years.
“It's been growing, and the technology has been getting better and better,” McCann said. “I don't have a house key on my house. I haven't had one in probably 10 years.”
Robert Smith, a technician at Broad Ripple Locks, demonstrated the ease of using your fingerprint to gain entry into your home.
“If the deadbolt is unlocked, you can lock it with any fingerprint, but to unlock it when the door's locked, you need a specific fingerprint that you've programmed in,” Smith said. "So my index finger won't work, but my thumb will.”
Thumb prints and facial recognition are the two top uses for biometric security, according to McCann, and Smith said it’s becoming more accepted by Hoosiers.
“It is, more than it used to be,” Smith said. “Like any technology, I'd say it's much better than it used to be, but it probably still has a ways to go with some limitations. You know, if it's cold outside, or you're wearing gloves.”
Those biometric door locks range in price from $70 to $350.
So what would be the residential application for biometric security using your face?
“The newer smart panels have got a camera on the front, so when you enter in your disarm code, it will scan your face to make sure that that code matches the person,” McCann said.
At this time, experts are recommending that biometric technology be a secondary layer of security for your home, but soon, it could become your home's first line of defense.