Enrolment
Definition
First-time capture of a biometric, feature extraction, and storage of the resulting template in the system database.
- Stage
- First-time biometric capture and template storage
- Output
- A stored reference template, not the raw sample
- Precedes
- Verification and identification matching
Common questions
Why does enrolment quality matter more than later capture quality?+
The enrolment template is the baseline every future match is compared against. A poor-quality enrolment (partial print, motion blur, awkward angle) propagates errors into every subsequent comparison, so systems often enforce stricter capture standards at enrolment than at verification.
Is the raw biometric image kept after enrolment?+
Depends on the system. Many systems discard or securely archive the raw image and retain only the extracted feature template for day-to-day matching, since the template alone is what the matching algorithm needs.
Related terms
- Behavioural Biometric
- Trait rooted in learned action: voice, gait, signature dynamics, keystroke dynamics, mouse movement.
- Biometric
- Any measurable physiological or behavioural trait used to identify or verify an individual. Falls in the 'something you are' authentication category, distinct...
- FAR / FRR / EER
- False Acceptance Rate (imposter wrongly accepted), False Rejection Rate (genuine user wrongly rejected), and Equal Error Rate (operating point where FAR =...
- Identification (1:N)
- Searching a fresh sample against EVERY template in the database to find a match. Used by AFIS to hit a chance print...
- Physiological Biometric
- Trait rooted in body structure: fingerprint, iris, retina, face, palm print, palm vein, hand geometry, ear shape, DNA.
- Presentation Attack Detection (PAD)
- Liveness checks that block spoofing with fake fingers, photos, iris printouts or cloned voice. Evaluated under ISO/IEC 30107.
- Verification (1:1)
- Matching a fresh sample against ONE stored template tied to a claimed identity. Used to unlock a phone or authenticate a payment.