Frequently Asked Questions

Palmki is a Belgian biometric identity solution that recognises people based on their unique palm vein pattern. With a single hand gesture, Palmki handles access control, time registration, payments, cybersecurity and process automation without a badge, card or password. The technology is developed by Perfect-ID NV in Hasselt, Belgium.

An infrared sensor captures the vein pattern beneath the skin of your palm - more than 5 million reference points. That pattern is converted into an irreversible, encrypted code (a template); the raw image is never stored. On each subsequent scan, the system compares your palm with that template and grants access in less than a second.

Palm vein patterns lie beneath the skin and cannot be seen or photographed without a specialised infrared sensor, unlike a fingerprint or face. The infrared scan also requires a living hand with active blood flow (liveness detection), so a photo, mould or replica will not work. The False Accept Rate is below 0.00001%, meaning unauthorised access is virtually impossible.

Yes. Palmki is built around GDPR compliance by design: only encrypted templates are created, never raw images, and only the strictly necessary features are stored (data minimisation). Users give explicit consent at registration and have a full right to erasure under Article 17 GDPR. With the template-on-card option, the biometric reference even stays on the user’s personal badge instead of on a central server.

You can choose between three storage modes: on the device itself (the Palmki controller), on a personal badge (template-on-card), or on a server (local or in the cloud). With template-on-card, the biometric data is never stored centrally, which offers the highest privacy guarantee and enables two-factor authentication. In all cases these are encrypted, irreversible templates - never recognisable images.

Palmki achieves an accuracy above 99.99%, with recognition in less than one second. An independent study by Ghent University (2025), commissioned by the Belgian FPS Home Affairs, confirmed palm vein biometrics as the safest and most privacy-friendly biometric method: a risk score of 2/7, compared with 4/7 for fingerprint and 7/7 for facial recognition (lower score = safer). Unlike fingerprint and face, the vein pattern performs reliably regardless of skin condition, lighting or positioning.

Yes. You hold your hand above the sensor without touching anything, which guarantees the highest standard of hygiene. This makes Palmki ideally suited to healthcare, food and public environments where contactless access matters.

The vein pattern lies beneath the skin and remains reliably recognisable despite dirt, moisture or damaged skin - ideal for industrial environments. The technology works in cold, warmth, rain and shine. As with any hand biometrics, gloves do need to be taken off briefly.

Your palm vein pattern is unique (even identical twins differ) and remains stable throughout your life - it does not change with ageing, work or environment. Only after a deep injury might a new registration be needed, which is true for every biometric method. A quick re-registration is then enough.

Palmki is one technology with many applications: access control for buildings and offices, fraud-proof time registration, password-free cybersecurity, contactless payments, process automation and custom hardware. For each application you choose between palm-vein-only (fast authentication with just your hand) or a combination with a badge for two-factor security.

Yes. The Palmki controller integrates with existing systems via API, OSDP or Wiegand. It is powered over PoE (a single ethernet cable for both power and network), drives 12V/24V door locks directly via an integrated relay, and can be deployed flexibly (embedded, Docker container or managed cloud).

The Palmki starter kit contains a sensor, a PoE controller, the management software (up to 5 additional controllers and 50 registered hands) and full documentation. This lets you fully evaluate palm vein authentication and then roll it out further. Installation and configuration are carried out by certified partners who guarantee optimal operation and integration.