When you shop for cat food online, Amazon knows who you are. When you look for the best airfares for summer vacation, Google knows who you are. Soon, when you get behind the wheel, your car may recognize you, too.
Using cameras with facial recognition software and other biometric indicators, automakers are looking to personalize the driving experience with cars that stare back at you, quietly adjusting seats and driving modes.
They may even anticipate your wants and desires by playing your favorite music based on your mood.
And it’s not only about convenience, but also about the possibility of improving safety and security.
“It’s not just about personalization,” said Zachary Bolton, a systems and technology engineer at Continental Automotive Group, explaining the sophistication of such systems. “We can use the gleam, the twinkle in your eye to determine precisely where you’re looking.” Engineers can then dynamically adjust the so-called human machine interface, putting critical information, say, about a stalled car up ahead, or the fact that you are about to exceed the speed limit, directly in a driver’s line of sight on the dashboard or in a display on the windshield. Conversely, by tracking downward eye movements, the car could “see” that a driver was distracted and sound a warning.
Continental has already demonstrated in-car systems that allow drivers to register their faces using something as simple as a driver’s license picture. An interior infrared camera is used to overcome potential obstacles like sunglasses, which would stymie a conventional video camera. Putting the camera in the center instrument cluster also helps to pinpoint the driver’s eyes, even if she’s wearing a hat. The biggest technical challenge — glare caused by sunlight — can be filtered out using machine learning, Mr. Bolton said.
Once the car knows who you are, systems in vehicles like the Chrysler Portal concept car would automatically adjust the seat for maximum comfort, select a driving mode (for example, one driver likes to let the car do most of the work; another likes taking control in sport mode) and suggest a destination based on the owner’s past behavior.
Watching a driver’s face can also give a car important clues about that person’s state of mind. For several years, carmakers like Ford and tech companies like Intel have been interested in determining whether a driver is happy or sad. Depending on your mood, a car could change its tune, playing a bouncy Beach Boys song and changing the interior lighting to improve your attitude.
Read more of the original article at The New York Times.
