Samsung, SenseTime work on in-cabin biometrics as vehicle access market to grow at 9 percent CAGR

Biometric systems within the global market for vehicle access control will increase by 9.3 percent CAGR over the next seven years, and the overall market is set to surpass $20 billion by 2027, according to a new report from Global Industry Analysts.

The 274-page ‘Global Vehicle Access Control Industry’ report estimates the total vehicle access control market at $10.5 billion in 2020, spurred in part by 13 percent compound annual growth in China.

Biometric systems being integrated into automobiles are mostly being used for applications other than physical access control, however, with a number of implementations of facial recognition-based driver monitoring systems and new solutions in development.

Samsung patent filing shows biometric ignition

A patent filing from Samsung depicting a fingerprint biometric vehicle ignition system has been published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and spotted by Patently Apple.

The application suggests a fingerprint sensor embedded in an automobile’s steering wheel could be used, possibly in combination with the driver’s smartphone as a physical secondary authentication factor, to start the vehicle. Samsung also depicts a biometric sensor in the vehicle’s door handle for unlocking.

Eye tracking proposed for continuous driver authentication

A paper published in the journal Image and Vision Computing proposes a passive, continuous biometric driver authentication system based on eye movements and blinking.

The system proposed in ‘Improving eye movement biometrics in low frame rate eye-tracking devices using periocular and eye blinking features’ utilizes infrared cameras with a low frame rate, and the study authors claim it is the first to study eye movement “in the wild” as a behavioral biometric authentication method. The low frame-rate cameras are not capable of extracting physiological characteristics, like iris biometrics, from the eye, the paper says.

Testing was conducted with 55 volunteers watching large-screen videos simulating a driving experience.

The model achieved a 98.5 percent match rate with error rates as low as 0 percent, according to the paper. Equal error rates were higher in verification mode, however, and match rates lower in identification mode.

SenseTime partners for online training workshop

SenseTime has partnered with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park Corporation’s AIPlug on an online training workshop for in-cabin sensing solutions using biometric and AI technologies to enhance vehicle safety, according to an announcement on LinkedIn.

The training included hands-on demonstrations of some of the algorithms SenseTime is bringing to the automotive industry, covering driver monitoring, occupant monitoring, and in-cabin sensors for external use. Keyless entry, gaze tracking, and hand gesture recognition are among the applications SenseTime sees its technology being implemented for, along with detection of drivers who are drowsy or distracted.

Chevy Bolt adds face biometrics for driver attentiveness

The new Chevy Bolt EUV (electric utility vehicle) and Chevy Bolt EV have been unveiled by GM, each featuring a semi-autonomous driver-assistance system for highway driving with facial recognition to track driver attention, CNBC reports.

The semi-autonomous driving system does not require the driver to hold the steering wheel while the self-driving system is in operation on the 200,000 miles of freeways in the U.S. and Canada that have been mapped with LIDAR.

MCNEX showcases multi-modal cabin system

CES 2021 featured a showcase of new biometric and autonomous driving technologies from Korean autonomous vehicle camera maker MCNEX. Among them was a new in-cabin camera system that the company says improves convenience and safety for drivers and passengers alike with a mirrorless camera, ‘smartroom’ camera, fingerprint biometrics, and iris and facial recognition.

MCNEX is the sole supplier of ADAS technology to Hyundai Motor’s premium brand Genesis.

Rimac supercar provides facial recognition for driver interaction

The Rimac C_Two electric supercar features a 1,914 horse-power engine and a top speed of 258 mph, but it also provides voice control, facial recognition, and a graphical interface for driver interaction, according to Hot Cars.

The supercar also provides level 4 autonomy, according to the report, but with a $2 million price tag, pre-sales of 150 units are considered impressive.

Article Topics

access control  |  automotive biometrics  |  biometrics  |  continuous authentication  |  eye tracking  |  facial recognition  |  fingerprint recognition  |  monitoring  |  patents  |  personalization