If you’ve noticed the news stories about the soaring number of car thefts across U.S. cities, you’ll know that the more technology our vehicles have, the more opportunities there can be for hackers or thieves to exploit.
However, researchers from the University of Michigan might have found a solution, and it involves one of the most low-tech features of our cars—the cigarette lighter, or as we know it today, the auxiliary power outlet.
The researchers have developed Battery Sleuth, a vehicle security system that uses this power outlet to protect cars from all types of theft, from high-tech wireless hacking to old-school methods like lock picking.
It’s a cool new way to secure your car without relying on keys or wireless signals that could be intercepted by tech-savvy thieves.
Battery Sleuth works by measuring tiny changes in a vehicle’s electrical system. These changes can be created when you enter a special code on a keypad that plugs into the power outlet.
The code generates a unique pattern of voltage changes—a kind of “electrical fingerprint”—that lets your car know it’s you, and not some thief, trying to start it. If the right fingerprint is detected, the car can start.
To make it even simpler, you can also generate the fingerprint by flicking the windshield wipers, turn signal or headlights on and off, or by locking and unlocking the doors. It’s a sort of secret language between you and your car!
The system is smart enough to be installed on thousands of different car models. Plus, it’s got its own defenses.
For instance, it can sound a siren if it detects something fishy, or even shut down the car’s electrical system if an unauthorized power source is connected.
“The way cars are built today, with many different computer systems, creates a lot of opportunities for hackers,” says Kang Shin, a professor at the University of Michigan who led the research.
“Our system works independently from all that, adding a strong layer of security.”
The early tests of Battery Sleuth have been impressive. In a study, the system was more than 99.9% successful at stopping unauthorized use of cars without causing any interference to the car’s normal functions.
Now, the researchers want to test the system more extensively and even explore its use in applications like car sharing services.
In the long run, Battery Sleuth might not only serve as an excellent theft deterrent device but could also become a complete vehicle entry and control system, potentially replacing traditional keys and fobs.
If it works out, car theft could become a thing of the past, thanks to an unexpected hero—the humble car cigarette lighter.
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