Fingerprint recognition technology will be applied to the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, as part of a push from the Korean marque to allow drivers to unlock and start their vehicles without using car keys.
The technology – which will debut in Spring - is updated constantly in a bid to offer maximum security. This marks the first time such technology has been used on vehicles, according to the firm.
To unlock the vehicle, the driver will need to place a finger on the sensor, which is located on the door handle. The vehicle will identify the driver using encrypted fingerprint information before unlocking.
Inside, drivers will be able to easily start the vehicle simply by touching the ignition, which is also equipped with a fingerprint sensor.
The system will also commit a driver’s preferred settings to memory; using the fingerprint data as identification, the vehicle can automatically adjust to previously used seating positions, connected car features, and side-view mirror angles.
Albert Biermann, the head of Hyundai’s research and development division said that there are plans to do even more with driver fingerprints as time goes on.
“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,” he explained.
As a security measure, the technology includes capacitance recognition, which detects the electricity level in various parts of the fingertip – this prevents forgeries and faked fingerprints.
The technology’s chance of misrecognizing another person’s fingerprint as the driver’s is only 1 in 50,000 making it five times more effective than conventional vehicle keys, including smart keys. Plus, thanks to the systems’ ability to learn in real-time via ‘dynamic update’, it can continually improve its success rate.
The technology is set for a gradual rollout in select markets, before gradually expanding to other markets.
