A group of engineers at the Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology has developed a system that can recognize an individual by analyzing the seating position and how the body applies pressure on the seat when a person is sitting down. The group of engineers, led by professor Shigeomi Koshimizu at the public graduate school in Tokyo, will seek commercialization of the system for use as a highly reliable anti-theft system in two to three years, through collaboration with different automakers.
The seat works by using a system of 360 pressure sensors attached under the driver’s seat.Through their combined efforts they remember and create a “pressure map” that is then stored and can later be used for identification purposes.
The pressure at each point is shown in an index that runs from 0 to 256 and currently displayed on a notebook computer connected to the sensor. At first glance it seems like this type of measurement would be fairly inaccurate, but tests have shown that it has a 98% percent recognition rate. It might not be as unique as a fingerprint, but it’s close enough when it’s intended purpose is to protect you and your car from theft.
Representation of the base-pressure force distribution, captured by the sensors:
System description in Japanese (PDF)
