Hyundai develops world-first fingerprint tech for cars, Santa Fe to get it first

By CARSIFU | 26 December 2018


SEOUL: The Hyundai Santa Fe SUV model to be released in select markets in the first quarter of 2019 will be the first model to get a world-first smart fingerprint technology that allows drivers to not only unlock doors but also start the vehicle.

To unlock the vehicle, the driver needs to place a finger on the sensor located on the door handle. The encrypted fingerprint information will be identified and delivered to the fingerprint controller inside the vehicle. The driver can also easily start the vehicle by touching the ignition that is also equipped with a fingerprint scanning sensor.

The technology also provides a customised driving environment. Matching information of driver preference with fingerprint data, the vehicle automatically adjusts seating positions, connected car features, and side-view mirror angles according to the driver.

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“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” said Hyundai president and research head Albert Biermann.

Hyundai also addressed the security issues on the smart fingerprint technology. With capacitance recognition, which detects differentials in the electricity level in various parts of the fingertip, the fingerprint technology efficiently prevents forgeries and faked fingerprints.

The technology’s chance of misrecognising another person’s finger print as the driver’s is only 1 in 50,000 making it five times more effective than conventional vehicle keys, including smart keys. Moreover, through real-time learning of fingerprints supported by "dynamic update" system, the fingerprint system can continually improve its success rate.

Hyundai will apply the fingerprint technology in select markets and gradually expand to other markets.

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