THESE EYEGLASSES FEEL YOUR VOICE THROUGH YOUR SKIN

Our voices are increasingly being used for biometric identification, although it's not the safest form of identification. People can impersonate us, for example, or edited recordings of our voices can be used. With all this in mind, researchers at the University of Michigan created VAuth (vee-auth, in case you struggled to pronounce it). The VAuth adds an extra level of security to the technology gadget. 

Developed by a team lead by Professor Kang Shin, the hardware end of the VAuth can take the form of a necklace, earbuds or an attachment to eyeglasses. Whatever the form may be, it incorporates an accelerometer that detects subtle vibrations in the skin of the wearer's face, throat or chest as they speak. 

Interesting enough, the way in which precise vibrations match up to specific sounds make up a signature that's unique to each person. The idea for the VAuth gadget is that it would be combined with conventional voice-print identification, to make the device even more secured. 

The VAuth managed a detection accuracy of 97% when the research team tested 18 users and 30 voice commands. This was regardless of where it was worn on the body, along with user's language, accent or mobility. 

"Increasingly, the voice is being used as a security feature but it actually has huge holes in it," says Shin. "If a system is using only your voice signature, it can be very dangerous. We believe you have to have a second channel to authenticate the owner of the voice."

The University of Michigan has applied for a patent and is currently seeking commercial parts to help bring the VAuth gadget to the market.