New Car Anti-Theft Device Profiles Your Rear End 126
Hugh Pickens writes "A car-seat identifier developed at Japan's Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology by Associate Professor Shigeomi Koshimizu can recognize a person by his or her rear end with 98 percent accuracy when the person takes a seat in his car. The bucket seat's lower section is lined with 360 pressure sensors that measure pressure on a scale from 0 to 256, sending information to a laptop, which aggregates the information, generates the key data and produces a precise map of the seated person's rear profile. Researchers say traditional biometric techniques such as iris scanners and fingerprint readers cause stress to people undergoing identity checks, while the simple act of getting seated carries less psychological baggage. Koshimizu wants to see his work available commercially as an anti-theft product in two to three years if automakers agree to collaborate. He sees possibilities of this device being used beyond auto-theft identity protection to a device for security identification in office settings, where users log on to their PCs as they sit down."
no longer matching the profile (Score:5, Insightful)
So what happens when your ass no longer matches the profile? Will you still be able to start your car or log into your computer?
And I am not necessarily talking about getting fatter over time. It is possible to get leg and back injuries that cause you to sit differently with different pressure applied to different areas when you sit down. What about people with hemorrhoids that need to sit on an inflatable donut?
Re:no longer matching the profile (Score:5, Insightful)
What happens when you have a blister or bad cut on the same finger you use for a fingerprint scanner? Or you have a cold and need to voice authenticate?
You use a key.
Re:no longer matching the profile (Score:4, Insightful)
What happens when you have such muscle aches that you can't turn a key?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that if you can't turn a key, you probably aren't in any condition to drive a car safely.
What about valet parking? (Score:5, Insightful)
What about valet parking or taking the car to the shop? Obviously, there has to be some kind of override and as such, thieves, will find a way to hack it and still steal the vehicle.