Car keys could soon become obsolete, according to Japanese company Hitachi, which is developing a new technology that recognizes the patterns of veins in people's fingers.
Identifying people by the veins in their fingers is more reliable than identifying them by their fingerprints, a technology that is already used instead of keys in some cars, the company says.
"If the finger is dry, or is injured, it can be very difficult to recognize the (finger)print," said Mitsuo Yamaguchi of Hitachi.
Some Japanese banks have already started using the vein-recognition technology in their money-dispensing machines, Yamaguchi said.
The company thinks that more of this kind of technology will soon become integrated into most cars, especially for the purpose of entertainment. It already makes computers that play movies in cars.
One of the other technologies that Hitachi has been working on is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). RFID chips are small electronic tags that can be put on things to identify and track them. Until now, RFID tags have mainly been used by stores, which put them on their products to keep track of them. But they are also used in libraries to track books, and might even be used to track people.
But there are some people who are against this new technology. They say the RFID tags are "spy chips" and have encouraged people and companies not to buy them.
The makers of the technology say that the biggest problem will not be making the technology, but convincing people that it won't invade their privacy. "People don't like being spied on," Yamaguchi said. (DPA)
正積極研發指靜脈辨識新技術的日本日立公司表示，汽車鑰匙可能很快就將成為歷史。
日立公司表示，指靜脈辨識比指紋辨識更加可靠，某些車輛已經使用指靜脈辨識系統取代傳統的鑰匙。
1. Why is the vein-recognition technology better than fingerprinting technology?
a. It is cheaper.
b. It is more reliable.
c. It is easier to use.
2. What does NOT make it difficult to test a fingerprint?
a. The finger being dry.
b. The finger being injured.
c. The finger being dirty.
3. What does Hitachi think new technology will be used for in cars?
a. Entertainment.
b. Improving performance.
c. Safety.
4. What are RFID tags NOT being used for right now?
a. Tracking library books.
b. Tracking store products.
c. Tracking criminals.
Ans: 1.b 2.c 3.a 4.c
日立的山口光雄（譯音）說：「萬一手指乾燥或受傷，指紋辨識的難度可能很高。」
山口光雄表示，日本部份銀行已開始在自動提款機上採用這項靜脈辨識技術。
日立認為，這類技術很快就會廣泛運用在汽車上，特別是作為娛樂之用。日立也已製造出能在車上播放電影的電腦。
「無線射頻識別系統」（簡稱RFID）是日立一直致力研發的另一項技術。RFID晶片是一種可以辨識並追蹤物品的電子小標籤。直到現在，各商店仍是RFID標籤的主要使用者，他們把產品貼上RFID標籤並記錄。RFID標籤也可用在圖書館找書，甚至追蹤人物上。
不過，也有人反對這項新技術。反對者表示，RFID標籤根本就是「間諜晶片」，因此他們鼓勵民眾及公司行號不要購買。
開發這項技術的廠商表示，RFID最大的問題不在技術本身，在於如何說服民眾它不會侵犯隱私。山口說：「民眾不喜歡被監視的感覺。」 （德通社／翻譯：林倩如）
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