New automotive biometric and sensing technologies launched by Hyundai, Cadillac, ADI, Yandex, NXP

Biometrics continue to be implemented in the automotive market, as Chinese auto maker Changan has launched its UNI-T with facial recognition for driver monitoring and human-computer interaction. The UNI-T also features an L3 self-driving system, which the company plans to fully introduced once autonomous driving has become established in China.

Concerns over the security of biometric data in connected cars are a significant concern for consumers, however, according to Deloitte’s “2020 Global Automotive Consumer Study,” especially in India.

Concerns about privacy and data security were noted by 69 percent of respondents in India, slightly more than in Germany (62 percent) and the U.S. (59 percent). There is not a strong consensus for who consumers would trust to manage their data, with less than 40 percent in most countries choosing OEMs for the job.

OEMs and technology providers continue to partner up and develop ways to identify and monitor drivers and vehicle occupants, meanwhile.

Hyundai Mobis develops radar occupant detection

A radar-based rear occupant alert system has been developed by Hyundai Mobis that can detect infants covered in a blanket, and the company plans to add biometric features before commercializing the technology, according to The Korea Times.

The carmaker plans to introduce the feature to a number of new vehicle models to prevent children from being left unattended in vehicles, which results in nearly 50 deaths each year in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Rear occupant alert systems are also becoming mandatory in new vehicles starting in 2022.

Hyundai Mobis says it plans to enhance the system with biometric heart-rate measurement by the end of the year. The system uses radar to detect passengers with greater accuracy than ultrasonic or weight sensors, and detects adults, children, and pets, the company claims. If a passenger is detected when the driver exits and closes the door, the Hyundai Mobis system sounds an alarm or sends an alert message to the dashboard or the driver’s smartphone.

Cadillac launches facial recognition for driver monitoring

The 2021 Cadillac CT5 features facial recognition technology to make sure the driver is looking ahead and has open eyes before activating the Super Cruise semi-autonomous driver aid, Fox Wilmington reports.

The Super Cruise feature will also be available for the 2021 CT4 and Escalade models as well, and enable drivers to take their hands and feet from the steering wheel and pedals. Super Cruise is already available on the Cadillac CT6, and about 10,000 sedans have been sold with the feature so far.

The new version of Super Cruise out next year will add an automated lane-changing capability.

ADI and Jungo launch biometric camera solution

Analog Devices (ADI) and Jungo Connectivity, a spin-off of Cisco, are developing a camera solution to provide biometrics for intelligent driver-vehicle interaction, as well as monitoring drivers for drowsiness and distraction, eeNews Europe writes.

The companies are combining ADI’s time-of-flight (ToF) technology and Jungo’s CoDriver software with two-dimensional infrared signals. This will enable driver monitoring by detecting head and body position and viewing direction, and also support facial, body and hand gestures, and facial recognition to identify people inside the vehicle for personalized infotainment, services and billing options.

“The collaboration with Jungo opens the door to innovative augmented reality applications that go beyond today’s gesture control,” says Analog Devices Product Line Director for Automotive Connectivity and Sensing, Vlad Bulavsky.

The companies’ 3D ToF principle is similar to that of popular lidar laser scanners, according to the report, using high-power optical pulses nanoseconds long to capture depth information. CoDriver also supports technology for sensing vehicle occupants, seatbelt usage, and driver health.

The offering includes signal processing, laser driver and power management devices, plus development boards, software and firmware for developers.

Yandex working on biometric driver verification

Russian search and tech giant Yandex has also developed a camera with integrated machine learning technology to detect driver drowsiness and distraction, VentureBeat reports.

The Yandex SignalQ1 camera is attached to the vehicle’s windshield, and tracks 68 points on the driver’s face and tracks events such as blinking and yawning to generate sleepiness and distraction scores. The camera is currently being tested on a small number of cars in Moscow operated by Yandex.Taxi, a ride-hailing service that merged with Uber’s regional operations in 2017.

There are reported to be hundreds of thousands of Yandex.Taxi drivers in 18 countries, and the company often partners with local taxi fleets, which could ease broad deployment, according to VB.

Eventually, Yandex plans to be able to identify the driver with facial recognition, as Uber does, and Yandex.Taxi Regional General Manager for EMEA and CIS Aram Sargsyan says the company is now optimizing the technology in the testing phase. Facial recognition checks will be run through the driver’s mobile device, rather than the Yandex SignalQ1, however. Voice recognition is also in development by the company to ensure its vehicles are operated by the registered driver.

The company is attempting to head off the kind of problems that resulted in Uber’s dismissal from London by Transport for London (TfL) over driver fraud concerns.

Yandex says it was able to reduce speeding by 12-fold after launching speed-tracking technology.

NXP digital key solution to enable secure permissions

A new automotive digital key solution from NXP Semiconductors enables drivers to securely communicate, store, authenticate, and share digital keys from smartphones, key fobs and other devices with vehicles.

NXP’s Secure Element and NFC chipsets, both of which the company says are qualified for automotive use, are leveraged along with the Car Connectivity Consortium’s (CCC’s) Standardization Release 2 architecture, to enable key-sharing multi-car access, and configurable driving rights.

“The digitalization of Car Access is developing rapidly, driven by the desire for secure solutions that enable a new lifestyle,” comments Markus Staeblein, VP and GM of Secure Car Access at NXP. “Imagine families and friends sharing their car keys via smart devices, fleet and car sharing companies providing keys over the cloud and online orders delivered to your car.”

CCC Release 3 will define handsfree smart car access with secure digital key management, NXP says, so it will combine its digital key solution with automotive Bluetooth communication and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology for precise localization.

The new Lynk & Co 05 was recently launched with biometric fingerprint technology from Goodix.

Article Topics

automotive biometrics  |  biometric data  |  biometrics  |  data collection  |  facial recognition  |  heartbeat biometrics  |  identity verification  |  monitoring  |  personalization