The robust SmartEnsembleNet: A game changer in finger knuckle biometrics

SmartEnsembleNet represents a major leap forward in the domain of biometric identification, focusing on the relatively underexplored area of finger knuckle biometrics. This research enhances the effectiveness and uniqueness of biometric systems by leveraging the distinct and secure features of finger knuckle patterns. As a complement to existing biometric techniques like fingerprints and facial recognition, it adds an additional layer of security and reliability. Addressing the challenges faced by finger knuckle identification, such as image acquisition, environmental effects, and aging, SmartEnsembleNet introduces a pioneering multi-layered ensemble learning strategy that combines eight diverse machine learning models. These models, trained via a 5-fold cross-validation on datasets from IIT Delhi and PolyU, demonstrate significant improvements in accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. A distinctive feature of SmartEnsembleNet is its innovative meta-model, streamlining the creation of a meta-dataset. This dataset is created by applying bilinear interpolation to the predicted probabilities from the top-performing model, and it is further refined by subtracting these interpolated probabilities from the validation data. This iterative process generates ‘smart data’, which serves as the basis for training the ultimate ‘smart model’. Logistic regression is chosen for its outstanding performance. This method, applied uniformly to both training and testing phases, considerably enhances classification accuracy in finger knuckle biometrics, establishing new benchmarks. SmartEnsembleNet’s performance undergoes a detailed evaluation using the Friedman test and Nemenyi post-hoc analysis, guaranteeing a selection process grounded in statistical rigor. With its resilience to noise and adaptability under various conditions, SmartEnsembleNet not only addresses existing gaps in finger knuckle biometric research but also pioneers future advancements, providing a versatile and secure solution impactful for both academia and high-security scenarios. [Display omitted] •Innovative SmartEnsembleNet for enhanced finger knuckle identification.•Advanced ensemble learning with eight machine learning models.•Pioneered meta-model with bilinear interpolation, leading to smart-data creation.•Model evaluated for statistical robustness with Friedman and Neyman tests.•Sets benchmarks in classification accuracy, adaptable for biometric applications.