Scientist develops identification system based on drivers'' behinds

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

While a person's hands are typically used for identification purposes, a mechanical engineering professor is working on some new technology that would identify car owners as soon as they take their seats.

According to the Wall Street Journal*, Shiggeomi Koshimizu, a mechanical engineering associate professor at the Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology, has developed a thin sheet that, when sat upon, can identify the contours of the user's posterior.

A total of 360 disc-shaped sensors are placed throughout the durable sheet, which is about the size of a typical passenger seat in a vehicle. Each one collects data based on stress points the occupant demonstrates in the way they sit, with the pressure gradient differing for virtually everyone, the paper reports.

Ultimately, Koshimizu's creation establishes the closest resemblance to a finger or thumb print through a "bottom print."

"No additional effort is needed [from the driver]," he told the paper. "All you have to do is sit."

He added that the intended utility of the device will enable car drivers to control their vehicles by preventing unauthorized users from accessing the vehicle.

Kinks still need to be worked out

Even though Koshimizu said the sheet is able to correctly identify its registered owner 98 percent of the time, it will be a while before they are installed in car buyers' next new car purchase . That's because there are a variety of issues that still need to be ironed out, such as determining how the sheet can be situated so that its sensors always work.

There are also questions as to the sheet’s staying power. With vehicle owners keeping their vehicles longer than they ever have—approximately 11 years on average, according to a recent study—the sheet's durability is highly suspect, according to the paper.

An additional factor to consider is the cost, as he notes that the device would put an extra $900 on the sticker price of buying a new vehicle.

There's also some concern as to how many automakers would be interested in equipping their models with the device. Thus far, one major brand has shown interest, Koshimizu told the paper.

*according to the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 18, 2012

View the original article here