Biometric vehicle access systems market to reach $854.8M by 2021

Markets and Markets has published new research that finds that the biometric vehicle access systems global market, which is currently valued at about $442.7 million, is projected to nearly double by 2021.

The report forecasts that by 2021, the global market will undergo a 14.06% CAGR to reach $854.8 million.

Examining the production volumes and demand trends of the global market, the report is based on interviews from experts and suppliers on the future trends of the biometric vehicle access system market, as well as sources from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), and paid databases and directories.

“Given the price sensitivity in the automobile sector and long design to manufacturing cycle, it is difficult to adopt the latest biometric technology in the auto sector,” said Anil K. Jain, a Michigan State University professor who researchers biometrics.

Jain suggests that the best approach may be to use biometrics capabilities for automobile applications to eliminate the need to integrate a separate biometrics reader or recognition software into the vehicle itself.

“Aside from the convenience biometrics offers consumers, such as the ability to unlock cars by just walking up to them via facial or gait recognition, biometrics also affords much stronger security than do physical car keys or fobs which can be much more easily stolen or replicated as has been proven in the past,” said Gartner Research analyst Avivah Litan, who added that biometrics are far from perfect, and that car manufacturers should not depend completely on the technology for security.

The Markets and Markets report states that biometric vehicle access systems are still in a growing phase. Fingerprint recognition systems currently holding the largest market share, with iris recognition systems expected to grow in number due to increased demand for safety features.

The report finds that Asia-Pacific vehicle market is projected to have the largest market share in iris recognition systems by 2025.

Meanwhile, the report estimates that Europe will command the largest overall share of the biometric vehicle access system market in 2016, with major manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen developing these technologies to strengthen vehicle security.

General Motors Co. has been developing a semi-autonomous “Super Cruise” system, which will allow drivers to let go of the steering wheel for extended periods, but will automatically slow down the car to bring it to a halt if drivers are not attentive, according to a Reuters report that cites a government letter.

In September 2014, the company initially unveiled the planned technology to allow drivers to set their vehicle to a self-driving mode while driving on highways. The system will be fully unveiled the system next year.

In the event that the road has too many twists and turns or the vehicle detects the driver is not paying attention, the system issues a series of alerts. In addition, if the driver does not assume control, the vehicle will automatically slow down and then turn on the hazard lights.

In a letter to GM, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) raised concerns about the system’s safety and urged GM to “ensure that this fallback solution does not pose an unreasonable risk to safety.”

GM’s monitoring system is based on facial recognition software that can detect if a driver is falling asleep or not paying attention, spokesman Kevin Kelly said.

If the system detects the driver is falling asleep or not paying attention, it prompts a red visual display that tells the driver to take control followed by a seat vibration and then a recorded audio message. If the driver ignore all these alerts, GM’s OnStar system will communicate with the driver.

Other car manufacturers planning to release similar systems in coming years include Audi’s Traffic Jam Pilot in 2018, and Tesla’s recently updated semi-autonomous driving system Autopilot which features new limits on hands-off driving and other improvements.

Additionally, SoftServe recently released BioLock, an electrocardiogram (ECG) biosensor analysis system for continuous driver authentication and health monitoring.

Dubbed BioLock, the smart system facilitates device-to-device communication between ECG biosensors embedded into a vehicle’s steering wheel and mobile devices to easily ‘recognize’ and monitor drivers with a touch.

BioLock incorporates real-time processing and biometric authentication to proactively monitor the health of drivers and prevent vehicle theft.

Article Topics

automotive biometrics  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  identity verification