The evolution of car starting has changed with technology, a hundred years ago, starting a car, need to pressurize, ignite, preheat... And many other complex operations, even one person is difficult to complete independently. Today's cars only need to insert the key and twist to start, one key to start even this step is saved, get on the car, press the button, and then it can be triggered.
At this point, it should be difficult to streamline what drivers need to do before they set off. After all, for safety reasons, the step of starting the vehicle cannot be omitted, unless there is any action that can be more direct and simple than pressing the button.
Mercedes-Benz really found a way, not only to retain the steps of starting the vehicle, but also to make the operation more "insensible", basically holding the steering wheel with both hands and the car will start. Yes, that's right, the key is to "hold" the steering wheel. According to the latest patent published by the German Patent and Trademark Office, M-Benz has developed a steering wheel sensing system, with keyless technology, which can eliminate the need to drive even the step of operating the start button.
The system can support NFC near-field communication, UWB ultra-wideband, BLE Bluetooth low energy, or other radio signal-based technologies. After driving into the car, as long as the bracelet or smart watch is close to the steering wheel and the authorization is provided, the vehicle will start on its own. This technology can even be set through different bracelets to achieve teen mode or choose an exclusive customized setting on the bus.
The patent also mentions a further feature whereby the system assesses the driver's health through a bracelet device to confirm whether there may be a potential danger before starting the vehicle. The bracelet key is not a new technology, Jaguar Land Rover has launched a similar product in the early years, but the role is not much different from the general induction key. The M-Benz patent goes a step further in installing fingerprint or palm print recognition on the steering wheel, and even using retinal scanning or voiceprint as a means of authorization is possible.
Could this patented, state-of-the-art sounding technology be a new alternative to keyless systems, or just another beautiful misunderstanding?