VisionLabs, a Russian developer of facial recognition technology, introduced the facial identification function to cars, which will allow a vehicle to ‘recognize’ its owner from a distance, and as he gets closer it will confirm his identity and unlock the doors, the press service of VisionLabs told TASS.

The LUNA platform, which was developed by VisionLabs, was modified to operate on the Nvidia Drive IX platform. "Thanks to its facial recognition, drivers will no longer need a key to start their cars. The camera can recognize the owner of the car "from afar", and as he gets closer to the vehicle, it will confirm his identity to ensure keyless access and driving personalization," said VisionLabs. The system can also ‘see’ what is happening inside the car, enabling it to be on top of the driver’s situation, the company added.

According to VisionLabs founder and CEO Alexander Khanin, facial recognition technology is gradually becoming a part of our daily life and helps look at the same old things with fresh eyes. "Drive IX will make it possible for auto manufacturers to use artificial intelligence in building next-generation cars with a completely new approach to driving," said senior director of software and head of Nvidia Drive IX platform Ratin Kumar.

VisionLabs, a resident startup of Skolkovo's IT cluster, was set up in 2012 and specializes in computer vision and machine learning. Russian biggest lender Sberbank has a 25% stake in VisionLabs with another 25% owned by the Sistema Venture Capital fund.