April 29, 2023

Car Manufacturers Introduce New A.I./Biometric Technologies to Detect Medical Emergencies in Drivers and Passengers

Artificial intelligence (A.I.) technologies are notoriously susceptible to inaccuracies, biases, and various other risks (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Nevertheless, automobile manufacturers are creating and promoting A.I./biometric technologies to collect data on drivers and passengers so they can alert them to A.I./biometrics-detected medical emergencies.

From Biometric Update:

Major carmakers roll out new biometric features – including stroke detection

Masha Borak

Big automotive brands are putting the pedal to the metal to roll out new biometric features in connected vehicles. The global market may reach $1.56 billion by 2025 and automotive brands are figuring out new ways to use biometric technologies to provide convenience and safety to passengers – including a feature that detects strokes.

Mitsubishi launches health monitoring, Genesis facial recognition reaches EU

The top three medical causes of car accidents In Japan are heart disease, epilepsy and cerebrovascular disease. This is why Mitsubishi Electric has developed a new system that collects biometric data such as pulse and blood pressure using a contactless Driver Monitoring System (DMS) camera in order to detect if a driver is in a serious physical condition.

Mitsubishi has already been using the DMS to detect driver distractions and drowsiness. The new system uses Mitsubishi Electric’s proprietary AI to estimate biometric data and Maisart AI technology, the company said in a press release.

If you would like your vehicle to do more than measure your heartbeat, carmaker Genesis has your back, or should we say face.

Genesis, a Hyundai Motor brand, introduced what it terms “the world’s first facial recognition technology on a car” to the European market. The software called Face Connect enables keyless biometric vehicle entry and engine start and is available exclusively on the all-electric Genesis GV60.

General Motors announces open-source software protocol for connected vehicles

General Motors has announced the creation of a new open-source software protocol named uProtocol, a standard that aims to connect automotive applications and services from different manufacturers.

The owner of Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet brands says that the protocol can make software faster to develop and easier to use across various automotive and other devices, diminishing the need for custom in-car software and walled gardens. The move comes at a critical time as GM is preparing to deploy its Ultifi software platform across its vehicles.

Ultifi can be used to run a range of applictions, from weather apps to in-car cameras for facial recognition, according to the company.

Contactless authentication in vehicles reaches 1.2 million patents

As innovation in the automotive industry heats up, the number of patents are going up too. During the past three years, over 1.2 million patents were filed and granted for contactless authentication technology in the automotive industry, including facial, iris, palm vein and voice recognition, according to GlobalData’s report.

Contactless or touchless access control includes technologies such as biometrics, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), RFID and smartphone keyless entry. The top five companies for contactless authentication patents are Apple, Broadcom, Canon, Deutsche Telekom and GigSky, according to the report.

Of course, operating privacy invasive A.I./biometrics software as well as contactless or touchless access control technologies also requires exposing automobile drivers and passengers to biologically harmful electromagnetic fields (EMF) including Bluetooth and/or other sources of wireless “Wi-Fi” radiation. This being the case, the proposed solutions for detecting medical emergencies could potentially cause at least some detected medical emergencies. Got pets? Exposure can hurt them too.