Fingerprint-based Exam Hall Authentication using IoT

Abstract

This project develops a fingerprint-based biometric security system designed to deliver stronger accuracy and reliability than traditional password, PIN, or ID-card methods. The system employs a high-resolution fingerprint sensor that captures a student’s unique biometric pattern and matches it with encrypted templates stored in a secure database, ensuring authenticity and preventing impersonation. An Arduino microcontroller functions as the central controller, managing fingerprint enrolment, verification, and data retrieval while coordinating all hardware operations through a simple 4×1 switch interface that allows users to select modes such as registration, validation, and real-time authentication. To automate physical access, the system integrates a 30 RPM DC gear motor controlled via an L293D motor driver, enabling doors or entry barriers to open only when a valid fingerprint is detected and to remain locked during unauthorized attempts. A 16×2 alphanumeric LCD provides continuous feedback, displaying prompts such as “Place Finger,” “Matching…,” “Access Granted,” or “Access Denied,” which helps guide users through the interaction process. By combining biometric identification with automated door control, the system minimizes identity fraud, enhances campus safety, streamlines attendance management, and provides a faster, more secure, and user-friendly method of verifying student identity in academic institutions.