With biometric security becoming standard in smartphones, it was only a matter of time that cars embrace this tech. This week, Hyundai Motor revealed the first fingerprint technology for vehicles. And no, it’s not a far-fetched vision.
The 2019 Santa Fe will be launched initially with this feature in select markets starting from the first quarter of 2019. This tech will not just allow the drivers to unlock the car but also start the vehicle. Hyundai has also paired customized driving environment with this feature. Information of the driver’s preference will be matched with the fingerprint data and the car will automatically set the seating positions, connected car features, and side-view mirror angles as per the driver’s preference.
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Giving a glimpse of the technology’s future, Albert Biermann, president and head of research & development division of the Hyundai Motor Company said, “In the future, Hyundai Motor plans to further expand the application of the technology to allow the adjustment of temperature, steering wheel position, and many other features which will be tailored to driver’s preferences. This will ultimately offer quality driving experience to each and every Hyundai customer.”
In case you are worried about the security, Hyundai has got that covered too. Using capacitance recognition, differentials in electricity in various parts of the fingertip are detected. This keeps off forgers and faked fingerprints from accessing the vehicle. The company claims that the chance of misrecognizing any person’s fingerprint as the driver’s print is 1 in 50,000 which makes it way more secure than our conventional keys, including the smart keys. Also, through their ‘dynamic update’ system, the fingerprint system continuously learns and improves the scanner’s success rates.
From bringing us the CRDi to variable valve timing in a petrol engine, Hyundai Motors has always brought revolutionary technology at affordable prices to our shores. Hence, we can safely presume that the fingerprint technology will also be a value for money addition from the Korean giant.
You can read more about Hyundai’s glorious 20 years in the country here.
Words by Manaal Mahatme