back to article Q: Why are you running in the office? A: This is my password for El Reg

A trio of Indian boffins have studied the use of smartphone accelerometers as biometric sensors and concluded they could be a handy way to identify users. Unlike the collaboration between American and Hong Kong researchers who want “who are you?” for ad-tracking, the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka boffins' …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    NaN

    "...the researchers' model accuracy ranged from a worst performance of 93.85 per cent up to “subject 6”, which the model got right 99.7 per cent of the time."

    "Subject 6" seems to be an ideal subject. Got a peg-leg does he? ;-)

    There must be more to this. We want information...

    1. MyffyW Silver badge

      In These Shoes?

      My own gait differs markedly depending on whether I'm wearing my trade mark DMs or a pair of precipitous FMPs. For that matter even a choice of frock and foundation wear must have some effect?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: NaN

      His friends call him tripod.

    3. Mark York 3 Silver badge

      Re: NaN - Information

      You won't get it.

    4. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: NaN

      I'd be more interested in the accuracy figures from a sample of, say, a thousand people rather than just ten. Ten seems rather a small number of test subjects to be shouting about accuracy levels at this stage. With a larger sample size we get to see a bit more of how similar some peoples gaits may be. Uniqueness is important in identification.

      1. Jonathan Richards 1

        Re: NaN

        > Uniqueness is important in identification.

        I think you would be surprised at how unique gait is. I was looking for someone recently across many in-use sportsfields, and I eliminated many possible people at several hundred yards away, simply because they didn't move in the way the search subject did.

        The El Reg headline makes a good point, though. This is interesting from a data classification point of view, but useless as an authentication method. Won't work e.g. in the back of a taxi where I can't do a bit of typical walking around...

  2. MrT

    "Your password is not long enough..."

    "... Please include at least 1,000 steps, including two stumbles and one short sprint."

    1. Mark 85

      Re: "Your password is not long enough..."

      It would seem that instead of a password, you're following a certain treasure map. Thus, you are Yellowbeard and I claim my 5 pounds.

  3. Teiwaz
    Coat

    What about the exception factor?

    Will your phone still recognise your gait if you are masterbating while running for a bus?

    You shouldn't masterbate while running for a bus, but if the bus is coming, and so are you...

    (apologies to John Sparks for mangling that great Frank Hovis sketch from 'Absolutely')

  4. Voland's right hand Silver badge

    Good excuse

    Sorry, boss, I cannot log in onto my work PC. Got a sprain from playing basketball yesterday and the system no longer recognizes me.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Rolling resistance

    I wonder if it works on wheelchairs. Or stilts. Or on a pogo stick...

  6. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

    Already solved problem

    Clearly, Fry and Laurie were well ahead of their time with their approach to identification.

    :)

  7. oomwat

    Someone please contact the ministry...

    The Ministry of Silly Walks of course ;)

    1. Steve the Cynic

      Re: Someone please contact the ministry...

      My thought was Aerosmith/RunDMC "Walk this way", but the Ministry of Silly Walks works, too.

  8. Korev Silver badge
    Boffin

    Body placement

    From the paper linked in the article:

    For this, we use a Samsung Galaxy J-1 phone, which is kept in the side pocket of the users’ trousers during data recording.

    When measuring gait with a device you need to ensure consistent body placement. In the real world, people keep their phone all over the place which messes up the data. In some clinical trials they put accelerometers in belts, shoes etc. to ensure consistent placement.

    Disclosure: I am involved in projects in this field and my employer has invested in device companies

    1. Baldrickk

      Re: Body placement

      hmm. I may be in the minority, but my phone lives in the same pocket all the time. orientation may vary though.

      1. SkippyBing

        Re: Body placement

        Frankly if I don't put my phone in the same pocket every time I may well spend hours looking for it.

      2. Korev Silver badge

        Re: Body placement

        my phone lives in the same pocket all the time. orientation may vary though.

        Orientation is quite easy to fix in code (gravity is always about 1).

        A woman might wear trousers one day and then a dress the next which means the phone will be in her handbag.

    2. Steve the Cynic

      Re: Body placement

      "you need to ensure consistent body placement"

      Consistent from person to person, or consistent per person from moment to moment?

  9. AndrueC Silver badge
    Joke

    Sounds like somethings afoot. I hope they make great strides with it.

    1. Korev Silver badge
      Coat

      It looks like it has a gait future...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They need to be careful not to put their foot in it.

      If they do it though they'll be legends.

    3. Nick Kew
      Coat

      Admit defeet

      There should be a rule - a lighthearted Godwin - about when a discussion gets turned into a punfest.

      1. Korev Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: Admit defeet

        OK, Hitler us with your best

        1. AndrueC Silver badge
          Joke

          Re: Admit defeet

          Oh dear, that was a bit nazi.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Admit defeet

        Commentard's Law: Any discussion, no matter how serious or weighty, will eventually descend into a punfest?

  10. Christoph

    What could possibly go wrong?

    I've injured my foot and need to phone a friend / a taxi to get me home. Oops ...

    Oh, it's OK, I can override with the unlock code.

    Oh, it's so long since I've used it that I can't remember it.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Urgent!

    "OK Google ... where is the nearest public toilet?"

    "Sorry, your current gait cannot be recognised"

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wait until hackers discover that simply carrying the device in an old carrier bag fools the system because it neutralises the gait. Or dropping it down stairs unlocks it for the opposite reason... an excessive but regular 'stride'

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Aha, ye olde Byo-Mettricks...

    Casca: Stand close awhile, for here comes one in haste.

    Cassius: 'Tis Cinna; I do know him by his gait; he is a friend.

    -- Shakespeare, Julius Caesar (1599)

  14. handleoclast
    Coat

    Dear Sir or Madam

    We at Experian are sorry to inform you that some of your biometric information has been stolen. We therefore advise you to take the following steps:

    1) Facial reconstruction surgery. This must include, at a minimum, breaking and resetting cheekbones in a different configuration.

    2) Eye surgery to replace irises and retinas (it may be cheaper to replace the entire eyeball rather than modify an existing one).

    3) Surgery to change your fingerprints.

    4) Put pebbles in your shoes.

  15. Sssss

    This sort of thing was discovered years ago. Not new.

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