A Canadian firm wants to replace all our computer passwords, screen locks on phones and tablets, car and house keys and even wallets with a single authentication band worn on the wrist.
The Nymi bracelet reads and monitors the wearer’s cardiac rhythm, which is as unique as a person’s fingerprint, to authenticate who they are.
A built-in proximity sensor can then detect where they are, and when the wearer is close to a paired computer, device or car, will automatically confirm their identity and unlock the required hardware or software. Although other companies are also working on password replacements that use a person’s biometric data such as an iris, face, or fingerprint, for example, Bionym founder, Dr. Karl Martin, claims Nymi is even more secure.
He told The Verge: ‘Your face, your iris — they’re all physical features that can be stolen, that you leave everywhere.’
The bracelet contains a HeartID that measures the amount of electrical power generated by a human heart, called a cardiac rhythm tracked on an electrocardiogram, or ECG. This ECG differs from person to person and depends on the location and size of the their heart.
Nymi only works with a registered person’s cardiac rhythm, meaning if the bracelet is stolen it can’t be hacked.
And unlike photos of people’s faces and iris, or fingerprints left on surfaces, a heart can’t be copied or stolen.
Along with the HeartID and proximity sensors, the Nymi bracelet also has a motion sensor and connects to devices using Bluetooth. The motion sensor can be used to open car boots or doors wirelessly by moving the wrist in a certain direction, for example. Applications on smart TVs can also be controlled using flicks and spins of the wrist. Plus, Nymi can be used to pay for shopping wirelessly and securely. Although the first Nymi release is a bracelet, Martin claims that the technology could also be embedded into other accessories, such as a ring or belt – all the device needs is a connection that can be undone.
