A Sensing Seat for Human Authentication

This work is focused on the design and the realization of a sensing seat system for human authentication. Such a system may be used for security purposes in trucks, cars, offices, and scenarios where human subject authentication is needed and a seat is available. The sensing seat is realized by a seat coated with a removable Lycra sensing cover equipped with a piezoresistive sensor network. Since each sensor consists of a conductive elastomer composite rubber screen printed onto a cotton Lycra fabric, the sensing cover is able to respond to simultaneous deformations in different areas. This technology avoids the use of rigid electronic components and enables the realization of different cover layouts according to different types of seats. The algorithms for the enrollment, authentication, and monitoring tasks are discussed. A measurement campaign was carried out using data from 40 human subjects. The authentication capabilities of the system are reported in terms of acceptance and rejection rates, showing a high degree of correct classification.