Continental AG plans to show off its biometrically enhanced car at CES, which includes a fingerprint-triggered push-button ignition.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has emerged as one of the world’s premier car shows and at least one entrant at the show next month plans to unveil a higher level of personalization and safety for vehicle owners.

Continental AG, one of the global auto industry’s top suppliers, is showing the combination of the keyless entry and start system with a biometric element, opening up new possibilities in the field of vehicle personalization and authentication.

There is much more to innovative access systems than simply unlocking car doors or starting the engine, Continental executives said.

“The integration of biometric elements brings our expertise in systems integration to the forefront, as we are linking our access control solution with other intelligent systems in vehicles to ensure increased comfort and safety for all passengers,” said Michael Crane, head of Continental’s Body & Security business unit, North America.

“In addition, the access systems allow us to only control specific components as needed. This means that components are not required to operate continuously, which saves energy and increases efficiency.”

(Continental, Daimler focus on smart vehicle industry. For more, Click Here.)

Conti also plans to show off its "Intelligent Glass," which darkens to protect occupants from increased exposure to the sun.

Crane added, depending on the system configuration, automakers can introduce another level of security to their vehicles using biometrics. Introducing a biometric system could mean, for example, that the presence of a valid key inside the vehicle is no longer enough to start the engine as the driver is also required to provide authentication using a fingerprint sensor.

A two-fold authentication process significantly increases the vehicle’s anti-theft protection measures, Crane said.

(Click Here for details about Conti’s autonomous driving system.)

The biometric elements also allow drivers to personalize their vehicles. The system is connected to an interior camera, which recognizes the driver’s face and automatically personalizes vehicle settings, such as seat and mirror position, music, temperature and navigation for the driver.

Continental’s Intelligent Glass can also be integrated, which allows drivers to gradually darken almost all windows of the vehicle and lightens them automatically when the driver approaches.

(To see more about virtual keys and other technology, Click Here.)

It is possible to integrate the biometric system in all intelligent systems, regardless of the access technology used in the vehicle, Crane noted.