Hyundai Mobis invests $5 million (Rs 34 crore) in Deep Glint, a Chinese-based startup that develops computer vision technology using artificial intelligence. The AI-based object recognition and analysis system of Deep Glint is known to be quick and accurate enough to correctly recognise a face of a target person among 1 billion people from a distance of 50m, within 1 second.

This equity investment is to secure in-vehicle facial recognition and behaviour pattern analysis technology based on deep learning and advanced artificial intelligence technology. Through this, Hyundai Mobis is planning to provide personalised connected service of controlling automated selection of music or lighting that best suits the driver and passengers’ needs, which the AI could identify through facial expressions. Hyundai Mobis looks to promote new mobility experience by combining its vehicle infotainment technologies with facial recognition and behaviour analysis technology of Deep Glint.

The technical cooperation between Hyundai Mobis and Deep Glint is expected to be carried out in areas such as vehicle security authentication, driver status monitoring and in-vehicle virtual assistant.

Vehicle authentication uses facial recognition technology to authenticate the driver. If a driver is identified, the door of the vehicle will be opened or it will start. As more and more electronic devices in vehicle are being integrated, interest over vehicle security against hacking of smart keys or even worse, the whole security system arises. For this reason, the industry is committed to incorporate multiple authentication methods, such as fingerprint recognition coupled with near field communication (NFC). If an individual’s biometrics are added under security authentication process, which Hyundai Mobis can achieve with Deep Glint, security will be much enhanced compared to relying only on physical devices.

If in-vehicle cameras are used to recognise facial expressions of a driver, the condition of he or she could be monitored. This would enable the vehicle system to watch over the situation and intervene at proper time if needed; the driver will be able to get an alert when he or she dozes off while driving, or in medical emergency situations. In such serious situations, the vehicle security system will notice and give out proper alerts to drivers or passengers.

Another area in which high-performance object recognition technology can be used is reading the emotions of the driver and serving as a virtual personal assistant. Hyundai Mobis is planning to fully leverage the facial and behaviour recognition and analysis system of Deep Glint to expand the tech cooperation to areas of V2X. Playing pleasant music and provide calming lighting for driver who seems to be tired could be an example.

Hyundai Mobis is planning on active and progressive investments in startups in the areas of autonomous driving sensors, camera/radar/Lidar sensor fusion, battery cells, and fuel cells in order to quickly secure core future vehicle technologies by 2021.

Also read: Hyundai Mobis uses lighting to communicate in autonomous car era