Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Facial Recognition Might Be Coming To Your Car

Posted by timothy on from the ok-but-how-does-it-fail? dept.

cartechboy writes What if you got into your car and you had to authenticate that it was you behind the wheel? That might be what's coming in the near future as Ford's working with Intel to bring facial recognition to the car. The idea would be to improve safety and in-car tech with this system which is being called Project Mobil. When someone enters a Project Mobil-equipped car the system uses front-facing cameras to authenticate the driver. If the driver can't be authenticated it'll send a photo to the vehicle owner's phone asking for permission for this person to drive the vehicle. Once identified, the car can then automatically adjust certain settings to the driver's preference. This could also theoretically allow parents to control how loud their kids listen to the music while driving, how fast they can drive, and even simply monitor them driving. Obviously this NSA-like surveillance tech is a bit creepy on some levels, but there could be a lot of terrific applications for it. While only an experiment, don't be surprised if your dashboard stares back at you eventually.

6 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. In 2001... by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Open the hatchback door, Ford."

    "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."

  2. WTF over?! by Charcharodon · · Score: 4, Insightful
    what the hell is wrong with a key? If that key is just too heavy for you to carry how about a key pad to unlock everything?

    I don't need the fucking car to update facebook, check to see if I shaved, adjust all the settings, make sure I'm not drunk, or ask the real owner whether or not I can drive it, and then not work if there isn't a WiFi or cell signal present. (I'm sorry but you do not have permission to operate this vehicle as zombies are trying to break in.).

    I want my car to be a car, I don't need an ever bigger fucking cell phone to complicate up my life, and not to mention charge me yet another monthly service fee, along with spying on me to send the info to the gov't and marketers.

    Eat a bag of dicks Ford.

    1. Re:WTF over?! by Bite+The+Pillow · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Your opposition has been noted. Meanwhile, development continues as if you said nothing.

      That's because you are not representative of the market.

      Do you stop by a dealership every 6 months and explain that you would buy if it weren't a computer? Or do you not even consider Ford products? After considering, you may realize that you really aren't the market at all.

      So, how do you buy a modern car not a computer after that's the only option? Because I'm not the market, and I would love to disrupt this. By buying what I want, instead of typing angrily where Ford is unlikely to see it.

  3. Judged by your car... by MindPrison · · Score: 3, Funny

    You: Google Car - Start please!
    Car: Access denied, user not recognized.
    You: (tries to get closer to the camera). Google CAR! START PLEASE!
    Car: Access denied, user not recognized.
    You: #%!" *ss car, GOOGLE CAR - START PLEASE!!!
    Car: Voice unreadable, can't understand the word *ss car.
    You: (getting mad, swearing excessively). GOOGLE CAR - START THE F******* CAR RIGHT NOW! (stares into the camera like a mad man).
    Car: User Too Ugly Error 404

    (now, imagine what happened to the car)

    --
    What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
  4. Re:First the NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just another way to monitor us every goddamn motherfucking minute of every goddamn motherfucking day of our goddamn motherfucking lives, like we're all little children, or criminals in prison, or animals in a zoo. What's even MORE FUN that that is that we get to pay for this stupid shit! It's a 'solution in search of a problem' and desperately needs to have a giant Gallagher mallet applied liberally to it, along with the fucking morons who thought of this, the NSA, and every goddamn motherfucking gor-sucking politician in the goddamn motherfucking world who thinks shit like this is a good idea. How about a car that is inexpensive, reliable, gets good fuel economy (or can be recharged in less than an hour and doesn't cost half it's purchase price to have it's battery pack replaced in 5 years) and is overall just good transportation instead of a goddamn motherfucking lifestyle that consequently tracks your every goddamn move? Just fucking leave us all alone! All we want to do is live our lives without being hassled by goddamn motherfucking power-hungry control freaks! JUST FUCK THE FUCK OFF AND LEAVE US ALONE!!!

  5. Law enforcement .... by PPH · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ... needs evidence of who was driving a car when it is caught in an infraction by automated systems. In some jurisdictions, not having clear evidence of the identity of a driver is sufficient to have the case thrown out. This is how they will get their evidence.

    If the car won't start without positive facial recognition, that rules out the duct tape over the lens fix.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.