LAS VEGAS — Continental has developed a facial-recognition system that lets users unlock the door, start the car and even make purchases without a key fob — and without the camera being visible to the user.
For unlocking the door, a camera in the B pillar can recognize an authorized user and let them in, while a camera integrated behind the wheel can identify whether the person is approved to drive the car and let them start it. It can also limit certain capabilities, such as restricting younger drivers' access to, say, 100 hp while allowing more advanced drivers to tap the engine's full capabilities.
The facial-recognition system was one of more than a dozen technological advances Continental displayed at CES 2024, including the self-driving semi it is developing with Aurora and a corner module that can rotate 180 degrees to allow for seemingly infinite control, including rotating in place or driving sideways to make parallel parking a snap. Two of the company's systems were honored with CES Innovation Awards, including a Crystal Center Display developed in partnership with Swarovski Mobility, the automotive arm of the legendary jewelry company.
"We have exciting displays and it's changing all over the place," Nikolai Setzer, CEO of Continental Automotive, said in an interview. "We have some which are invisible, and we have one that should be very visible."
The center display developed with Swarovski is fully embedded in a semi-transparent crystal housing. That means the dash can still be seen and appreciated as a single design element, as one might want in a luxury car. Super-crisp, microLED images virtually float in the air.
"It looks like a diamond, and it appears to be magic," Setzer said.
The other CES honoree was the company's Radar Vision Parking. With a better antenna design, Continental can use "existing radars and a low-end camera" to eliminate the need for ultrasonic sensors, which can save money and allow more design freedom, said Aruna Anand, North America CEO of Continental Automotive.
Setzer summed it up: "Reduce what you have in terms of hardware and make it smarter: That is the software-defined vehicle of the future."
