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Paradigm

28 min readJan 17, 2022

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Biometrics biweekly vol. 29, 5th January — 17th January

TL;DR

Mastercard has approved the second-generation T-Shape biometric sensor module from Fingerprint Cards to its updated security compliance requirements, which the sensor supplier says will help minimize time to market and lower related costs for card manufacturers
Plaintiffs in Microsoft biometric privacy suit try to counter bid for summary judgment
Full-screen smartphone fingerprint biometrics patented by Xiaomi
Apple watchers posit an under-screen Face ID feature for the iPhone 14 Pro. Apple’s promised mobile driver’s license and the fear of vendor lock-in
Boréas releases a new gesture detection and force-sensing platform
Idemia I&S patent filing for ID document scanning published
Humanode announced a public sale. In a short film named ‘Break the cycle’ published last week it is said that the sale is expected this summer
HashCash and biometrics research institute partner on blockchain-based digital identity
Alcatraz eases Rock integration with third-party software
Neurotechnology upgrades MegaMatcher suite
AuthBridge fintech Fintelle adds biometric liveness detection, voice authentication
Oz Forensics aces Level 2 biometric presentation attack detection test by iBeta
FaceTec 3D biometrics, liveness power onboarding, a digital wallet for UAE bank
Unissey claims 18 percent face biometrics performance gain in the latest NIST testing
Smart Engines launches iOS apps, upgrades SDK’s ID document scanning
New biometric card platform from STMicroelectronics wins CES Innovation Award
Sensory releases cloud platform for face and voice biometrics, analysis
Trust Stamp biometrics patents approved, liveness detection technique filed
Precise Biometrics and Infineon partner up
Gentex reveals face biometrics-based monitoring system
Mindtronic AI unveils biometric sensing tech at CES 2022
Mercedes-Benz showcases neuromorphic infotainment system upgrade
Punjab province launches biometric car transfer process
Smart Engines launches iOS apps, upgrades SDK’s ID document scanning
Suprema plans facial recognition access control focus, a new product in 2022
Synaptics supplies on-device AI voice analysis for Lenovo tablet
Fluent.ai and Knowles showcase wireless earbuds and voice biometrics-controlled devices
iDenfy introduces a phone verification service
DigiDoe raises $1M for cardless, no-phone biometric payments
TendedBar to expand automated drinks and biometric payment service with $5M fundraise
Spanish bank signs up for FacePhi selfie biometrics to simplify loan access
Western Australia integrates digital ID with all-in-one ServiceWA app
Quebec considers including financial documents in digital ID wallet
Chinese regulators vying to be the hub of control over AI
Greece to launch mobile ID, mDL
New national authentication service and digital identity announced for Finland
India’s new biometric passport now ready for rollout, $1B service deal concluded
Nanotechnology sensor designer Somalytics Inc. says it has developed a capacitive sensor which is the world’s smallest capable of gesture recognition for use in digital interfaces, wellness monitoring and safety applications
A new algorithm for recognizing hand gestures has been developed by a team of researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou in an attempt to overcome the high computational burden, low speed and accuracy and limited number of recognizable gestures
The latest biometric payment card market forecast pegs the market at $1.69 billion by 2026 on 155 percent compound annual growth
HID forecasts 7 trends impacting security and identity in 2022
Biometrics industry events. And more!

Biometrics Market

The Biometric system market size is projected to grow from USD 36.6 billion in 2020 to USD 68.6 billion by 2025; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.4% during the forecast period. Increasing use of biometrics in consumer electronic devices for authentication and identification purposes, the growing need for surveillance and security with the heightened threat of terrorist attacks, and the surging adoption of biometric technology in automotive applications are the major factors propelling the growth of the biometric system market.

Biometric Research & Development

Latest Research:

Potential breakthroughs for gesture recognition with a new algorithm, capacitive sensor

Gesture recognition technology is advancing with new developments in both software and hardware for touchless digital interactions.

A new algorithm for recognizing hand gestures has been developed by a team of researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou in an attempt to overcome the high computational burden, low speed and accuracy and a limited number of recognizable gestures, Unite.AI reports.

The team, led by Zhiyi Yu, published a paper describing its hand gesture recognition algorithm “for efficient edge computing” in the Journal of Electronic Imaging. The algorithm is intended to enable the deployment of gesture recognition to consumer devices, with nine gestures identifiable by the software.

Legacy algorithms cannot interpret different shapes of hands, Yu says, so the team programmed the algorithm to begin by classifying a presented hand as slim, normal or broad. A prerecognition step then calculates a ratio of the hand’s area to select the three most likely from among the nine total gestures.

“The gesture prerecognition step not only reduces the number of calculations and hardware resources required but also improves recognition speed without compromising accuracy,” Yu tells Unite.AI.

The resulting algorithm has shown real-time accuracy of up to 94 percent.

Researchers Develop New Hand Gesture Recognition Algorithm - Unite.AI

A team of researchers led by Zhiyi Yu of Sun Yat-sen University has developed a new hand gesture recognition algorithm…

www.unite.ai

Capacitive sensor innovation

Nanotechnology sensor designer Somalytics Inc. says it has developed a capacitive sensor which is the world’s smallest capable of gesture recognition for use in digital interfaces, wellness monitoring and safety applications.

The sensors are based on a 1mm paper composed of carbon nanotubes, according to the announcement.

The SomaControl gesture monitor and SomaSense flexible 3D-sensing floor mat are on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week. The CES demonstrations will cover gesture control of LED lights, control of a computer through gesture, and monitoring of data like gait and foot pressure.

The carbon-nanotube paper composite (CPC) sensors are 100 times smaller and 10 times faster than existing capacitive sensors, says the startup, which was spun out of CoMotion at the University of Washington with the support of an investment from IP Group Inc. The sensors can detect the presence of a person from 20 centimeters away.

Somalytics CEO Barbara Barclay says the capacitive sensors have extensive potential applications in improved eye-tracking.

“Somalytics’ sensors will open an entire new era for wearable eye tracking because the sensors are not camera based and there is no illumination of the eye required,” says Barclay, who according to the announcement is a recognized international expert in eye tracking technology. “The processing speed is under three milliseconds, and the sampling rate is 10 times faster than best-in-class existing technologies. With Somalytics’ sensors, eye tracking will evolve to accomplish the ‘real feel’ and ‘real-time eye to eye’ experience for which augmented and virtual reality users have long waited.”

CES RELEASE - Somalytics

Contact CES 2022: Somalytics to unveil products powered by world's smallest nano-based capacitive sensor in huge…

somalytics.com

Main News:

Fingerprint Cards biometric module passes strengthened Mastercard security requirements

Mastercard has approved the second-generation T-Shape biometric sensor module from Fingerprint Cards to its updated security compliance requirements, which the sensor supplier says will help minimize time to market and lower related costs for card manufacturers.

The Fingerprint Sensor Evaluation Process was strengthened by Mastercard to include stricter anti-spoofing requirements for biometric payment cards. The new capability criteria were issued last year, and the Fingerprint Test Assessment Summary (FTAS) for sensor vendors confirms the performance biometric features for security, privacy and user experience.

“Yet again we are pushing technology boundaries by increasing the security features of our solution. This is an important achievement for our card partners, who can save time and money when launching and scaling second generation biometric cards. And ultimately for consumers, who will be able to enjoy a convenient and secure in-store payment experience,” says Fingerprint Cards Switzerland AG President of Payment & Access Michel Roig.

Fingerprint Cards’ sensor module passed the previous specifications last year, in testing performed by Fime.

The second-generation T-Shape module combines extensive research and development with insights gained in successful market pilots and commercial rollouts, according to the announcement.

A Mastercard featuring FPC’s and Thales’ technology for biometric payments was launched by a Polish bank at the end of 2021.

Humanode announces public sale

Humanode announced a public sale. In a short film named ‘Break the cycle’ published last week, it is said that the sale is expected this summer:

HashCash and biometrics research institute partner on blockchain-based digital identity

Renowned biometrics expert Anil Jain has been known to tell people that if anyone proposes to them to combine biometrics with blockchain, they should “run away.”

An unnamed biometrics research institute is working with blockchain development company HashCash Consultants to work on the creation of digital identities based on distributed ledger technology.

HashCash says its proposed solution is appropriate for companies seeking ways to securely perform identification.

The global biometrics research firm the company has partnered with produces annual survey reports, which indicate that over the next five years, innovating digital identification will be the main focus of biometrics research, according to the announcement.

“Blockchain’s intrinsic features ticks all the necessary boxes for real-time digital identification,” says HashCash CEO Raj Chowdhury, who is referred to as a “noted blockchain pioneer” in the announcement. “With further R&D, the time is not far from where we can witness seamless blockchain integration with biometric identification worldwide.”

Chowdhury suggests that the use of blockchain can improve the transparency and help assure users of the provenance of biometric identification, resolving many challenges in the industry.

“Testing is crucial in domains like biometric research where privacy and security are the top concerns. While possibilities with blockchain are limitless, it is essential to figure out the right integration approach for efficient implementation,” Chowdhury adds.

Jain’s worry about the use of blockchain with biometric systems is based on the inability of distributed ledger records to be changed after the fact. While providing robust protection from various kinds of manipulation, this architecture also means that any data, such as biometrics, included in the chain can be accessed much later.

If biometric records are recorded on a blockchain, therefore, even in encrypted form, they will be vulnerable to exfiltration and abuse by hackers who in the future may be able to defeat encryption or other protective measures.

Because of this, systems involving both technologies are typically proposed to store the actual biometric record elsewhere, with a derived token or pointer to the template data in their place on the chain.

Hash ID works, according to the HashCash website, by leveraging native device capabilities for biometrics collection and template storage, controlling access to the digital identity.

Plaintiffs in Microsoft biometric privacy suit try to counter bid for summary judgment

Microsoft’s request for summary judgment in a face biometrics privacy court case is premature, according to plaintiffs in the class action.

The plaintiffs in Vance et al. vs. Microsoft (2:20-cv-01082-JLR) say they need six additional months to corral evidence, or discovery needed to defend against Microsoft’s motion for a summary judgment. Microsoft’s motion is based on claims that it did nothing proscribed by Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act in the state, and that it did not use the data in question at all.

Arguments on the point could be heard this month.

In related case news, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart, agreed that Microsoft had to redact images of unidentified people in documents submitted by a plaintiff.

Vance v. Microsoft Corp., No. C20-1082JLR, 2022 BL 8006 (W.D. Wash. Jan. 10, 2022), Court Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON STEVEN VANCE, et al., Plaintiffs, v. MICROSOFT…

www.bloomberglaw.com

The people are not a party to the case, cannot easily be asked for consent to use the images and thus should not have images of their faces in public court documents, according to Judge Robart.

The 2020 class action illustrates one of the aspects of biometrics privacy that is hardest to defend against — the vagaries of an image’s chain of custody. Rights and permissions can and do get diluted or ignored as information changes hands.

It started with the Diversity in Faces database created by IBM from Yahoo!’s Flickr photo service, according to publisher Law Street Media. IBM’s 1 million-file dataset was to be used to minimize bias in facial recognition algorithms, as one of its creators explained to Biometric Update at the time of its launch. But consent was not sought for any of the images.

Google has been ensnared in the Diversity in Faces matter as well.

In Illinois, digital facial images cannot be used unless several criteria are met, including consent. IBM was subsequently sued.

The defendants in the case at hand say that Microsoft requested and received IBM’s dataset, also without meeting the consent requirements of Illinois law.

Plaintiffs Seek Deferral of Summary Judgment in Microsoft BIPA Suit - Tech

On Monday, consumers argued that Microsoft Corporation's bid for summary judgment in a privacy suit concerning the use…

lawstreetmedia.com

Full-screen smartphone fingerprint biometrics patented by Xiaomi

Spotted by Gizmochina, the new patent would transform the whole touch-screen of smartphones into a surface capable of fingerprint biometric authentication.

The technology seems to work via LED light transmitters placed underneath the capacitive touch-screen layer, but above the normal AMOLED display.

An array of infrared light receivers will then reportedly be installed above the infrared LED light transmitters, to enable the capacitive touch screen to register the touch, position, and shape of the fingertip.

The array of infrared LED transmitters will finally light out the screen at only the shape and position of the fingertip, reflecting the light back to the infrared light receivers, which will map out the contour of the fingerprint and store it for later verification.

The concept of an all-screen fingerprint scanner is not new in the world of smartphones, with Huawei submitting a patent in 2020 showing a similar concept.

At the time of writing, however, the company has not yet commercialized the technology, making Xiaomi’s recent attempt an interesting one to watch.

Rumors suggest Phone 14 Pro may feature under-screen Face ID

Spotted by 9To5Mac, the rumors of a new sensor placement for iPhone face biometrics come from reliable leaker DylanDKT, who has based his findings on sources such as Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

“I am able to corroborate information regarding a hole-punch camera for the pro models of the iPhone 14,” DylanDKT recently wrote on Twitter, adding to the speculation.
“Face ID hardware will be placed under the display,” the Apple expert explains.

In addition, DylanDKT also reassured that the functionality of the sensors has not been negatively affected by the hardware change.

This is not the first time under-screen face biometrics are predicted for future iPhone models, with an Apple patent spotted in July 2021 suggesting as much. Under-display biometrics were also predicted for cheaper iPhone 14 models in June last year.

Leaker says iPhone 14 Pro will feature under-screen Face ID and hole-punch design

Rumors about what to expect from the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro later this year are starting to gain traction…

9to5mac.com

Boréas unveils smartphones’ gesture-detection and force-sensing platform

The news comes almost a year after the fabless semiconductor company teased the piezo sensor that combined gesture detection with HD haptic feedback.

Now, Boréas is taking smartphone haptics one step further, with the official release of NexusTouch, a sensor that effectively turns the smartphones’ edges into customizable interactive zones

“[This allows] UI/UX designers to craft context-sensitive haptic effects where a button might feel like a trigger in a mobile gaming environment, a heartbeat on a health-tracking app, or a click that’s as reassuring as the shutter click of a DSLR camera,” explains Boréas Technologies CEO Simon Chaput.
“NexusTouch also delivers more accurate gesture detection via force-sensing and advanced algorithms, allowing users to swipe, tap or fling on the side of the device to activate particular functions.
“And because it uses piezo haptics — a newer high-performing technology — it only vibrates the area under the user’s finger to enhance the touch experience, unlike legacy technologies that vibrate the entire phone,” Chaput adds.

More information about NexusTouch and its applications are available in a free whitepaper recently released by Boréas.

Alcatraz eases Rock integration with third-party software

Alcatraz AI has released V2 of its biometric access control platform — the Rock — featuring third-party software integration, improved troubleshooting tools, and lowered minimum system requirements for the company’s flagship product.

“Driven by customer insights, the latest major release of our platform includes an evolution of our backend software,” says Alcatraz AI’s Vice President of Product Blaine Frederick.

The Alcatraz Platform V2 provides easier installation on customer-provided infrastructure (not requiring a low-level software integration) as well as simplified system upgrades and troubleshooting tools designed to improve the user experience in both installing and upgrading the Rock.

Additionally, the biometric access control platform now allows for deep software integrations with enterprise platforms such as Johnson Controls’ Tyco Software House C•CURE 9000 security and event management system.

“[This] will provide integrators more flexibility when deciding how to deploy the solution on either Windows or Linux operating systems,” Frederick adds.

Easy integration is also possible thanks to the Alcatraz API, which provides customers flexibility if they require deeper integration between Alcatraz and their access control system.

Neurotechnology upgrades MegaMatcher suite

The MegaMatcher suite of biometric solutions and software development kits from Neurotechnology has been upgraded with a new inference engine for improved performance, the company has announced.

The new MegaMatcher 12.3 updates the SDKs and the MegaMatcher Accelerator hardware and software solution. The new version also includes enhanced liveness detection for iris and facial recognition, and a new voice recognition algorithm, and the upgraded inference engine provides better speed and performance across all biometric modalities, Neurotechnology says. Face biometric liveness detection is now performed by a passive presentation attack detection (PAD) algorithm.

The NIST Fingerprint Image Quality (NFIQ) 2.1 standard is supported in MegaMatcher 12.3, as is the Mac M1 chip from Arm, resulting in significantly faster performance than previous versions running on macOS.

Speed is important for MegaMatcher ABIS, Accelerator, SDK and On Card, as they are used for high-volume biometric identification and national-scale projects.

“Every day our team aims to innovate technologies that make our products more accurate and robust while also being faster and less complex for our customers to use,” states Evaldas Borcovas, biometric research lead at Neurotechnology. “This latest version of MegaMatcher exemplifies these efforts, providing greater accuracy in verification and identification processes while enabling our customers’ systems to work faster.”

Smart Engines launches iOS apps, upgrades SDK’s ID document scanning

Smart Engines has announced the release of a new version of its software development kit (SDK) for ID document scanning with computer vision, as well as releasing three new demo applications for iOS: Smart Engines, Smart Code Engine, and Smart Document Engine.

The Smart Engines SDK 1.9.0 introduces new modes for arbitrary ID document cropping and advanced cropping with automatic orientation, together with substantial improvements in anti-fraud technology and quality of QR code scanning and AZTEC code.

In addition, the updated version of the optical character recognition (OCR) software extends the number of supported documents to 1,856 with 12 new subtypes, including EU medical cards, Russian divorce certificates, and Lithuanian driving licenses. The supported template types have increased to 2,534.

From a technical standpoint, the Smart ID Engine version 1.9.0 improves recognition accuracy for numeric fields, recognition of the document of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, and adds automatic estimation of document DPI (dots per linear inch).

In the Smart Document Engine app, v1.9.0 introduces the base forensics feature by default, as well as new document presentation checks added for ID documents, and data validation checks added for ID documents of CIS countries.

All the aforementioned features are already available to Apple users in the Smart Engines, Smart Code Engine, and Smart Document Engine iOS apps.

Unissey claims 18 percent face biometrics performance gain in latest NIST testing

Unissey has achieved an 18 percent improvement in the performance of its face biometrics algorithms in the global benchmark test, according to a company announcement.

The company first submitted its biometric algorithms to the United States’ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for evaluation in the Face Recognition Vendors Test (FRVT) in July 2021, and the company says it achieved an overall result in the top half of the field.

Unissey’s algorithms entered on November 29, 2021 scored a false non-match rate (FNMR) of 1.47 percent at a false match rate (FMR) of 1 in a million in comparisons against the ‘visa-border’ dataset in the latest FRVT 1:1 Verification report, published December 16.

The company contrasts this performance with that with human examiners, who are found to accept false matches for up to 30 percent of facial image comparisons.

New biometric card platform from STMicroelectronics wins CES Innovation Award

STMicroelectronics has won a CES 2022 Innovation Award for the STPayBio technology that backs its biometric cards platform, STPay-Topaz-Bio.

The technology is used as a foundational piece for biometric payment cards, but teams are studying the use of similar cards for health care and access control applications, according to the announcement.

The STPay-Topaz-Bio platform facilitates the development of biometric systems-on-cards, STMicroelectronics says, handling fingerprint enrollment, template creation, power management, and the authentication process. The platform includes an ST31N600 Secure Element, a 40-nm Arm SecurCore SC000 core, and a STM32L443 image-processing chip. The platform runs on an operating system compliant with Java Card 3.0.5 and GlobalPlatform 2.3.1 to support developers.

The ST31N600 microcontroller was updated by the company in November, when the STPay-Topaz-Bio was unveiled at Trustech.

STMicroelectronics and Fingerprint Cards began collaborating to integrate the STPayBio technology with FPC’s T-Shape 2 biometric sensor module last year.

The company says STPay-Topaz-Bio not only allows contactless payment limits to be lifted and PINs to be eliminated, but also meets the efficiency challenge presented by cards’ physical requirements. It does this by powering more components than the previous generation of contactless cards using the same NFC technology. STMicroelectronics engineers have also optimized the hardware for storage and computational performance, and the platform guarantees the fastest processing times, according to the announcement.

Sensory releases cloud platform for face and voice biometrics, analysis

Software company Sensory has announced the beta release of a new artificial intelligence (AI) as a Service platform designed to process voice and vision AI workloads in the cloud, such as for voice and face biometric identification and verification.

Dubbed SensoryCloud.ai, the solution offers a number of voice analysis AI services, along with face biometrics.

Voice tools include Speech to Text (STT) for either streaming or batch-mode operations, Wake Word Revalidation to reduce false alarm events, and Sound and biometric Speaker Identification, featuring a multi-stage approach optimized for speed, efficiency, and accuracy. The platform also offers Face Verification capabilities, with Sensory confirming additional services will be added over the course of 2022.

From a technical standpoint, SensoryCloud’s AI inference engine is both language- and platform-agnostic, and is contained within a highly-developed API.

“We have a history of building fast and accurate AI models, and we paired this capability with some of the brightest and freshest minds in the cloud industry,” comments Sensory CEO Todd Mozer.
“The result is a hybrid cloud platform that uses state-of-the-art AI to address customers’ unique needs for control, flexibility, cost, accuracy, reliability, features, latency, and privacy.”

Trust Stamp biometrics patents approved, liveness detection technique filed

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed for the issuance of two new biometrics patents to Trust Stamp, as well as publishing another previously filed by the company.

The first of the two new patents approved was initially filed on 22 April 2020 and allowed for issuance on 17 December 2021. Patents allowed for issuance are typically granted pending the payment of the issuance fee.

It is titled ‘Systems and Methods for Passive-Subject Liveness Verification in Digital Media,’ and describes passive liveness detection technology for both photos and videos.

In other words, using the technology, customers using Trust Stamp solutions will be able to authenticate themselves without requiring their active physical movement.

The USPTO has also allowed the issuance of a second patent on 9 December 2021, titled ‘Systems and Processes for Lossy Biometric Representations.’

The patent was initially filed by Trust Stamp on 6 April 2020 and refers to a novel protection system of biometric data through irreversible tokenization.

The invention “cryptographically obfuscates biometric information […] via a neural network that destroys much of the source data, inserts a key, and transforms the resulting data to create an anonymized representation known as the Irreversibly Transformed Identity Token (IT2).”
According to Trust Stamp CEO Gareth N. Genner: “as a result of our significant investment into research and development, Trust Stamp’s robust privacy-first patent portfolio protects the unique benefits of our product offerings and enables us to deliver unparalleled security, utility, and privacy, at a fraction of the cost of traditional biometric solutions.”

Finally, the USPTO has published the application of a patent submitted by Trust Stamp on 2 December 2021 (filed on 17 August 2021).

The ‘Systems and Methods for Liveness-Verified, Biometric-Based Encryption’ patent aims to strengthen Trust Stamp’s proven biometric capture, tokenization, and comparison technologies with the addition of anti-spoofing techniques, particularly against the use of printed images, recorded video, and feature-altering face masks.

Idemia I&S patent filing for ID document scanning published

Idemia Identity & Security USA has had an application for an ID document-scanning patent published, while its French parent company Idemia has partnered with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) for joint research and development on solutions for faster, more secure online transactions.

The patent document for a ‘process for capturing content from a document’, published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Organization (USPTO) describes a system for capturing a good-quality image from identity cards and other documents so that data can be extracted from the image. The system would provide feedback, in the form of a visually represented token and instructions, to users on positioning the document and capture device to eliminate glare and other distortions. It could also generate composite images, provide a predefined capture border or “attribute value of the image data.”

The technology could potentially be implemented in ID document scanning systems like those used at borders, as well as for remote identity verification processes like knowing your customer (KYC) checks for user onboarding.

Idemia also launched a new security feature for ID documents, based on optical variable elements, in November.

The partnership with CEA will focus on fields like private data protection, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, according to the announcement. Idemia says its R&D efforts are already closely aligned with those of CEA, enabling easy collaboration on the development of new digital identity protection systems.

Precise Biometrics and Infineon partner up

Precise Biometrics will supply its proprietary fingerprint algorithm and related technologies as part of a collaboration with Infineon on a range of automobile applications, including automated adjustments for driver settings, according to a company announcement.

Infineon will integrate Precise Biomatch to provide a customized driving environment, the companies say, which could include car settings but also identity verification for logging into applications.

“We are happy to collaborate with Infineon to enable tailor-made experiences for the driver in next generation vehicles. Together we will work closely to provide the market with innovative technology that strengthens the connection between humans and vehicles,” says Precise’s CEO Stefan K. Persson.

Infineon has long-standing relationships with several original design manufacturers (ODMs) that supply sensor solutions for use in vehicles, according to the announcement. Precise also unveiled a pair of deals of its own to supply Precise Biomatch to two ODMs for automotive biometrics just weeks ago.

Gentex reveals face biometrics-based monitoring system

Gentex announced at CES 2022 it is currently developing a hypersensitive camera intended for ’next-level’ driver and cabin monitoring, CNET reports.

According to the tech publication, the device can detect a sleeping baby’s breath, sense a human heartbeat, and even identify objects that are not in its line of sight.

The optical-based system uses laser-based, facial recognition technology to create between 5,000 and 7,000 dots that are then used to create a depth map of the vehicle interior.

The Gentex camera also features a 170-degree field of view lens and roughly a 5-megapixel camera sensor, together with infrared LEDs that are used for two-dimensional imaging.

Some of the technology used in the solution comes from Gentex’s acquisition of Israeli startup company Guardian Optical Technologies last year.

New driver-monitoring camera at CES 2022 senses your heartbeat

This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon. Automotive and…

www.cnet.com

Mindtronic AI unveils biometric sensing tech at CES 2022

Taiwan-based startup Mindtronic AI has returned to CES this year to showcase the somehow confusingly-named Meta-Service, a new biometric sensing technology.

Spotted by DigiTimes, the new solution was developed in collaboration with V2X Network, an autonomous transaction platform for the mobility ecosystem.

Thanks to this synergy, the Meta-Service will reportedly learn drivers’ patterns via biometric sensing technology, and then create data aimed at satisfying users’ instant interest.

Mindtronic AI said this will impact not just the automotive industry, but also consumer behavior in general in response to advertising.

The system was originally created to monitor drivers’ drowsiness but has now been reportedly upgraded to analyze drivers’ behavior.

CES 2022: Mindtronic AI opens the way to the future of mobility with Meta-Service ecosystem

Mindtronic AI, a Taiwan-based startup, has unveiled Meta-Service, a biometric sensing technology that provides instant…

www.digitimes.com

Mercedes-Benz showcases neuromorphic infotainment system upgrade

Mercedes-Benz has recently published an update regarding its research prototype concept electric vehicle (EV) VISION EQXX.

The car’s neuromorphic computing was developed in collaboration with BrainChip, and utilizes the company’s Akida processor.

The technology not only enables the VISION EQXX to perform amazingly when it comes to energy efficiency (enabling a 1,000km range) but also provides new features to the EV’s infotainment system.

According to Embedded, by using the Akida processor, the vehicle can detect the “Hey Mercedes” hot-word five to ten times more efficiently than conventional voice-controlled vehicles.

To improve its voice assistant’s capabilities further, Mercedes-Benz has also recently partnered with voice synthesis experts from Sonantic.

Software-defined vehicles drive next-gen connected EV development - Embedded.com

The electric vehicle (EV) has clearly become a key topic of discussion, with EV range probably the thing most consumers…

www.embedded.com

Punjab province launches biometric car transfer process

The Punjab Excise and Taxation Department in Pakistan has officially deployed its biometric car transfer system, Pakwheels reports.

By utilizing the new systems, car-owners will have to transfer ownership of their vehicle by providing their thumb biometric information. Buyers will have to do the same.

“If you are a seller, you have to go to (the) E-Pay App, add your data, submit the fee and then both buyer and seller have to do biometric confirmation within 30 days,” the department said, commenting on the news.

The move is aimed at eliminating malpractice in the vehicle selling process in Punjab, as well as making the process more transparent.

Deadline Ended -Punjab Launched Biometric Car Transfer System - PakWheels Blog

Punjab Excise and Taxation Department has officially launched the biometric car transfer system. Earlier, the…

www.pakwheels.com

New national authentication service and digital identity announced for Finland

Cybersecurity services company Nixu is contributing its Managed Identity and Access Management (MIAM) service to a national Finnish digital identity authentication service in development.

The national digital identity initiative will see the additional support of Yleisradio, Alma Media, and Digital Living International, which together with Nixu established Finland’s Authentication Cooperative (Suomen Tunnistautumisosuuskunta).

The new digital identity infrastructure was originally known as SisuID, and aims to provide commercial authentication services around the world with a national cost-effective alternative that is both secure and privacy-friendly.

According to an announcement by Nixu, the cooperative structure behind the new project will also enable collaboration between companies across industries and market needs.

“The goal of the new cooperative is to function as an enabler of digital services,” says the cooperative’s CEO Liisa Lundström.
“The aim is to be able to offer affordable alternatives, also in the long term, by lowering service fees when the number of users increases and development and operating costs have been covered,” she adds.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Nixu will be responsible for the technical development and maintenance of the authentication service.

Chinese regulators vying to be the hub of control over AI

China is again drawing appreciative commentary about its AI governance. Not a lot is being written on the topic, but it is getting serious attention.

Global think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace this week published a piece advising governments and artificial intelligence companies around the world to pay attention to what the Chinese government is doing.

It is surprising to some that China is paying attention to what other governments with freer economies and politics are doing. Last fall, it endorsed draft United Nations recommendations intended to, among other things, convince signatory countries to ban AI for social scoring and mass surveillance.

Likewise, it is counterintuitive to many that autocratic Beijing, which has always proved willing to sacrifice the niceties of civil and human rights its own aggrandizement, would have anything to teach liberal democratic nations about protecting people from technology.

And, indeed, there is a flaw in the Carnegie commentary in that it soft-pedals the very strong possibility that China’s communist party can — and already has — influenced industry development.