Facial recognition technology will replace the conventional car key on an emerging luxury brand in the near future.
A glance or a smile is all it takes to unlock the doors and start the engine in the upcoming Genesis GV60 – a future electric car manufactured by Hyundai’s luxury division.
Using similar technology to the latest smartphones, the South Korean car company has announced it plans to add facial recognition to the security package for its newest model.
The facial recognition technology is eventually likely to migrate throughout the Genesis range and trickle down to Hyundai – and perhaps even sister brand Kia.
The system – called Face Connect – is already fitted to the GV60 sold in the USA and will be added to European cars in 2023.
Genesis Australia does not have exact timing for the arrival of Face Connect, but expects it to arrival locally next year.
“It’s very likely to appear in Australia. We’re looking forward to seeing it in Australia but cannot confirm it at this time,” the spokesman for Hyundai and Genesis in Australia, Bill Thomas, told Drive.
“It’s very likely, but not confirmed. We have not locked it in.”
The Face Connect system allows owners to unlock and access the car using what Genesis calls a ‘face recognition sensor with a deep-learning image processing controller’.
It’s a biometric arrangement and means the owner only has to set the system once – using the car’s physical key – before locking, unlocking and starting the engine can be done by facial recognition.
There is a fingerprint reader in the dashboard, however Face Connect is built around a sensor in the car’s roof pillar next to the driver’s door, which scans the driver’s face and also uses an LED indicator to confirm when the system is active.
Genesis believes Face Connect will be ideal for outdoor activities – including swimming and running – because the driver will not have to worry about carrying or securing the key.
It also promises none of the biometric data used for the system will be stored or uploaded outside the car.
