Cars are becoming more and more like smartphones on wheels. We’ve seen the screens gradually gobbling up the entire dashboard, and now you’ll also be able to unlock your car with just your face, thanks to the new Face Connect feature on the upcoming Genesis GV60 EV SUV.
The Face Connect utilises a Near Infra-Red (NIR) camera on the driver-side B-pillar to recognise the driver’s face in all lighting conditions, including in the dark, to unlock the doors.
This feature will be particularly useful for outdoor enthusiasts, as you can just leave your car keys inside the cabin and lock and unlock the car using your face – no need to carry your car keys around when you go for a run or swim in a lake any more.
The system can register up to two faces, and individual profiles can be set up for each face. Depending on which face the system detects, the car will then automatically adjust personalisation settings such as the driver’s seat and steering wheel position, head-up display, wing mirrors, and infotainment settings as you unlock the door.
If that sounds just a little too dicey for you, don’t worry – you’ll still have to use your fingerprint inside the car to start and drive the car. The fingerprint scanner will also replace the existing PIN code access for other in-vehicle payments and unlocking of the Valet Mode.
Other new updates on the upcoming Genesis GV60 include the significantly expanded over-the-air (OTA) software update capabilities, where you’ll now be able to enable additional features on major electronic devices including the electric vehicle integrated control device, suspension, brakes, steering wheel, and even the airbags.
In essence, you’ll now be able to modify or upgrade the car, without even visiting a service centre, or have a technician work on it.
The new features, including Face Connect, Fingerprint Authentication System, and expanded OTA Software Update will make their debut on the upcoming fully-electric GV60, which is scheduled to be released soon. However, Genesis says that the new features will also gradually be introduced on the other models too.
