The ultra-realistic 3D fictional faces scared us, but they also caught our attention at MWC 2023. They prove the effectiveness of facial recognition that we should be finding on our car dashboards for years to come.
An indecipherable expression, his empty eyes, he looks at us coldly. frandroid It crossed a very strange head in the halls of MWC 2023. This one is as impressive as it is terrifying with its ultra-pushed realism: the texture and details are unbelievably close to human skin. However, this is precisely what will allow us to understand how a “Face ID” system works in cars.
Recognize a person by their skin.
We knew before we arrived at the Barcelona tech fair that Continental has teamed up with a German company called Trinamix to design a facial recognition solution to wear in cars.
So we went to the Trinamix stand to learn more about its technology, which goes a step beyond existing facial recognition systems. In addition to being able to authenticate a person through facial features, the signature algorithms also know how to recognize someone by their skin.
A way to further reinforce the reliability of facial recognition since it is supposed to never be fooled by a photo or even a 3D model of your face, however realistic it may be. In other words, the designers of this technology show that it will not fall even into the most elaborate traps. Consequently, it must protect you without problems on a daily basis, since whoever can do more can do less.
Safer facial recognition
It is precisely to demonstrate this enhanced security that Trinamix exhibits such creepy heads on its stand. The faces faithfully reproduce those of the team members present in the place. Thanks to these accessories worthy of Halloween, the representatives of the firm will be able to carry out their demonstrations.
Before tackling the question of integration into a car, the demo in question begins on a smartphone. Trinamix has integrated a chip into the screen of a phone in order to activate skin detection.
Through an application designed for this purpose, our interlocutor first shows us facial recognition without activating skin detection. It passes its dummy head in front of the device and is tricked into validating access to the application, thinking it is a human.
On the contrary, as soon as the skin detection option was activated, the smartphone displayed an error message when passing the mask in front of the sensors. It was necessary for the Trinamix spokesperson to actually present his real boss for his identity to be confirmed. No cheating: We were able to tamper with the smartphone and the installed app ourselves to make sure it wasn’t just a simple setup to impress the public.
In other words, the detection of human skin does allow facial recognition to be further strengthened. Now place the demo under a car.
Face ID in the car won’t let you sleep
For this part of the demo, Trinamix did not set up an electric car at its small booth or in a simulated booth. The firm is content with a small screen on the dashboard to show the capabilities of its “Face ID” technology.
Here too, the firm integrates human skin recognition technology. Therefore, a person breaking into the vehicle should not be able to start the vehicle, since he will not be able to authenticate himself.
In addition, Trinamix’s facial recognition system also promises to monitor driver behavior. The goal is to alert the person behind the wheel as soon as the system detects signs of fatigue or inattention. This is precisely what Tesla lacks in its Autopilot, as this study shows.
So, on the Trinamix dashboard, a square “Sleepy» comes to life in red on the screen when the person in front of you closes their eyelids for too long or blinks repeatedly. Same for the statement “Distractedif you start looking away without realizing what’s in front of you.
It doesn’t stop there. Other alerts are also in the program. For example, if a person brings their face too close to the screen, the screen warns that in the event of an accident, the airbag will not be able to deploy correctly and could even injure the person. There are also similar reports if facial recognition detects that you are smoking or talking on the phone while driving.
In this regard, remember that some manufacturers already offer this type of solution that monitors driver behaviour, sometimes even forcing them to look at the road when autonomous driving is activated.
Finally, Trinamix specifies that beyond drowsiness or security warnings against theft, its facial recognition could also be used to pay tolls on highways or recharge at electrical terminals without having to leave the passenger compartment.
A few more years of patience
Beyond Continental, the German company is already working with other players in the automotive market. A spokesperson tells us that their sauce technology “face identificationIt will be integrated into the concept car of a manufacturer whose name remains.
Nor does it give a precise date on the presentation of said concept car. Our interlocutor especially points out that we will not see this facial recognition solution in a commercialized car for a few years.
Our journalist Omar Belkaab is in Barcelona to cover MWC 2023 in its entirety, but is present as part of a press trip organized by Honor.
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