Schneider Electric created a Harmony biometric switch – based on fingerprint recognition – to restrict unauthorized machine access. It can recognize and authorize or refuse the operator in “less than one second, with a false acceptance rate of less than 0.1%,” says the release. The switch stores up to 200 different fingerprints and has “an acceptance rate of over 98% the first time it reads a fingerprint.” The switch has an optional protective cover and high intensity LED, but does not require the use of any additional interfaces. It also allows users to set parameters and register data through the interface. Finally, in a standard 22 mm cut-out, it can be installed with bared wires or an M12 connector.

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