An Alternative to the Use of HP G3110 Scanjet for Digital Dermatoglyphics

There is no doubt that there are advanced digital fingerprinting technologies in developed nations; however, in developing and underdeveloped countries, where availability of funds and technical know-how are factors limiting the full utilization of current technologies, there is the need for alternatives that could surmount emerging challenges problem within acceptable error limits. Oghenemavwe and Osaat (2015) introduced the use of HP G3110 Scanjet as a digital alternative to ink pad method previously practiced in Nigeria, but one great limitation to this method was portability (as it required an external power source), availability and cost. This prompted the search for an alternative with similar scan quality that could serve as a replacement for the HP G3110 Scanjet. The study was designed as a qualitative comparative evaluation of two digital methods of obtaining fingerprint patterns. Four independent evaluators (coded as R1, R2, R3, and R4) and the principal researcher (used as the gold standard) made up the panelist, and read the fingerprint of 20 randomly selected volunteer students at the University of Port Harcourt. The study qualitatively compared the readability of the patterns, the market statistics, specification and application of HP 300 flatbed to HP G3110. The Fleiss’ Kappa Statistics showed a 94% significant agreement (P<0.001) for all patterns and an 85.0% (C.I; 62.11-96.79,P<0.001) overall attribute agreement between the evaluators. Additionally, the HP 300 wasrelatively cheaper and available when compared to the HP G3100 which is currently out of production. The picture quality and readability fell slightly below that of the HP G3110 Scanjet probably because of the lower maximum resolution of the HP 300 flatbed, however. The evaluators were still able to clearly read the patterns and determine the primary class. From the findings, it could be concluded that the HP 300 flatbed can comfortably replace the HP G3110 with a comparable picture quality, better portability, usability, at a cheaper price.