Leaders Form the New Realm of Contactless Technologies
In today’s time, convenience, reliability, social safety and security is key. Alongside 2020 has reignited a new norm in the society of getting things done remotely. In this scenario alike in every aspect of human evolution, technology is felicitous. Regardless of applications and industries, the demand for contactless technologies is significantly booming. Another considerable reason for the growth of contactless technologies has been the recent global pandemic situation. New digital expertise is becoming invariably eminent to keep people from spreading Covid-19 through personal contact. For people randomly entering into a café, or supposedly going on for shopping or maybe just taking public transport the growing emergence of contactless technologies is ubiquitous. Though, one might hardly know the enablers and the people behind the show who are helping people to seamlessly adapt to the new norm. Congregating the innovators of contactless technologies and fuelling innovation in this segment, Guruprasad Vyasa | Country Head |Infineon India Connected Secure Systems Division, Prabhuraj Patil | Regional Sales Director | PACS, South Asia | HID Global, Praveen Ganapathy | Sr. Member Technical Staff, Sales & Applications | Texas Instruments India and Sanjay Gupta, Vice President & India Country Manager, NXP untangles the core aspects of Contactless technologies through this article.
What’s Driving Contactless Technologies?
Stating on three factors, Praveen points out on the growth of contactless technologies across the world:
- Gesture-based interfaces in the automotive sector that increase convenience
- Hygiene – as seen especially in healthcare sectors and more broadly in every walk of life, even more so with the pandemic
- And lastly, security, with regards to retail and access control for homes & businesses.
Whereas, Guruprasad citing the ongoing pandemic states, The world of COVID-19 and after is a new one, with irrevocable impact on the way we go about our daily lives. At this time of global concern for people’s health, a fast emerging trend can be seen in smart buildings where a business or public institutions are looking for touchless or biometric access solutions or automated lighting solutions based on radar technologies that help to avoid touching doorknobs or light switches. There is also a growing requirement for contactless payment options in all kinds of electronic devices like smartphones or smartwatches. COVID-19 has made aware many people of the need for contactless functionality in their everyday activities. This boosts the familiarization with contactless technologies among people and creates demand in this segment.
We have seen the emergence of contactless society post Covid19, which is supporting the way we want to interact, ensuring minimal human intervention stated Sanjay.
The main factor driving the growth of contactless technologies is the fear of contracting the virus by the masses. Contactless technologies aim to assist in social distancing and maintaining hygiene practices. For instance, the greatest disruption has been caused by way of adopting digital channels for payments such as UPI and e-wallets. And this trend where people are opting to go for contactless payments is not just because of the greater convenience that many of the first-time digital payment users have experienced but is due to increased awareness of hygiene factors adds Sanjay.
Prabhuraj paraphrases that with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for contactless technologies is at an all-time high worldwide owing to safety and security concerns. Contactless Reader powered by physical access solutions and products has been gaining a lot of popularity across home security, institutions and commercial spaces. The market size was valued at USD 6.92 billion in 2019 and is estimated to grow at a (CAGR) of 20.3% from 2020 to 2027. Demand in these spaces will continue to boost the growth of contactless technology for the next few years globally. The use of mobile credentials has become prevalent and popular owing to its ease of use and accessibility. For starters, the phone is almost always carried by the user. When the phone is lost, the user will be able to realize a lot sooner and take action immediately, as opposed to traditional cards and keyfobs. Prabhuraj foresees another area that will gain more prominence will be the access control domain, where identity technology and biometrics technologies powered by machine-learning-based decisions will increase in popularity. These will be more intuitive and friction-free for users encompassing mobile IDs, and new wireless location-service technologies like UWB.
Importance of Security and Interoperability
From smart cars to smart factories, the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming every aspect of modern life states Guruprasad. Deployment of smart, connected devices that also enable contactless payments across sectors delivers many benefits but also brings a very real threat of cyberattacks that can harm innocent users.
Guruprasad believes building trust in and between connected IoT devices is the first step in a holistic strategy.
- Security must be understood as a number one priority and be integrated from the beginning. Connected touchless devices need strong, tamper-resistant protection. This degree of protection cannot be provided by software alone – it needs hardware-based security. The complexity of cyber- systems are increasing continuously due to increasing connectivity and the inception of new technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computers
- The world of connected devices is a highly-fragmented, diverse one. For example, the type of cybersecurity required for a connected car varies from that of an automated factory (also known as “industry 4.0”) to a powerful computer on four tyres. Today a modern vehicle may generate 25 GByte each hour. For autonomous vehicles it could increase up to 1TByte per hour. Some data are confidential and some data can be linked to a person. Cybersecurity, safety and privacy therefore receive a high priority.
- Technologies and methodologies of cyberattacks are also continually changing.
- There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, nor a security reference design that can be described as ‘the’ IoT security solution; the IoT markets are highly fragmented and come with their specific requirements. • However, demand for security is increasingly seen – yet the market needs trusted, reliable and easy to integrate solutions as often IoT device manufacturers are no security experts.
Prabhuraj elaborates, Integrated different modules to get accurate interoperability in security is very crucial, especially in the current times, but this is also one of the biggest challenges in the sector. Institutions like schools, universities and hospitals need interoperable security systems to be able to handle the massive infrastructure while allowing for faster and easy access. Sharing a snippet on HID’s offerings, Prabhuraj cites, With our line of HID Signo products we are ensuring this. Our Signo Readers set a new industry benchmark for the most highly adaptable, interoperable and secure approach to electronic access control. These readers provide a simple and effective solution to secure access control, thanks to a multi-layered security model that ensures data authenticity and privacy.
On the other hand, Praveen notes, Contactless payment ensures the user is in possession of the payment device. For example, credit and debit cards pass hands that can make the authorisation process a security risk, as it is performed in the presence of another. On the other hand, keyless electronic locks for home and vehicle access provide added security as there is no possibility of key duplication. Moreover, use of biometrics like face recognition provides added security, convenience, safety and hygiene. Such features are critical and can help secure valuable assets, prevent unauthorised access to facilities, and ensure payments are received by the right beneficiary.
Talking about the benefits of the robust environment of interoperability in payment systems, Praveen said, All participants in the payment ecosystem. End users (including consumers, merchants, governments, and other types of enterprises), find it easier to make and accept payments. Providers to these end users (including banks, networks, processors, and other service providers), gain revenue from payments in interoperable systems that may not be otherwise achievable with closed loop (or non-interoperable) systems. Interoperability in payment systems can also produce cost efficiencies and enable superior risk management.
Sharing NXP’s expertise, Sanjay noted, We at NXP are committed to the cause of providing solutions that are more secure and reliable. For example, our recently developed MIFARE DESFire EV3 integrated circuits are being used in the ecosystem that provides advanced security and seamless integration of mobile services for a new era of security and connectivity. With an extensive set of security features, MIFARE provides more ways to protect data and help ensure privacy. The IC hardware and software are certified with Common Criteria EAL 5+, and the circuit supports a broad choice of open crypto algorithms. Additionally, a card generated MAC helps to securely authenticate transactions, and a new Transaction Timer feature helps mitigate man-in-the-middle attacks so it’s harder for an attacker to interfere with the transaction. Also, its new Secure Unique NFC (SUN) messaging feature offers a more secure method for maintaining data confidentiality and integrity. As there are more IoT devices than human beings in the world and technologies keep on evolving, we design chips to ensure that services function across products forms factors and geographies without a glitch.
Challenges and Scopes
Expressing disquiet about innovation in this sector, Sanjay noted, The rise of contactless technologies such as digital payments, smart devices ecosystem, automation, etc was already prevalent in the market even before the outbreak of the COVID-19. The only thing that has changed within the few months is the pace of the adoption of the technology along with further innovation in the contactless ecosystem. While acceptance was never a challenge with the technology, infrastructure and availability of resources at large still remains one of the top challenges among the contactless technology. Although technology has evolved from the concept stage, there is still a long way for it be to completely available for everyone.
Stating on the challenges and scoped, given the current scenario, Prabhuraj said, Physical access market have certainly changed. Along with the need for interoperability and ease of access the demand for contact less technologies will witness a big growth. One of the biggest challenges that organizations face today is the need for contact tracing, physical distancing procedures and improved hygiene to ensure a safe workplace. Real-time location services technology is playing a key role in automating how organizations monitor people’s proximity to others and measure localized density in real-time. It is also dramatically simplifying contact tracing by enabling detailed and automated record-keeping of where an employee has been in a building, with whom they interacted, and if they have been complying with disinfecting requirements such as the usage of hand sanitation stations etc. So, we have to develop a solution that physically does not require the readers to be in contact with any parts of the body.
Elaborating on HID’s survey, Prabhuraj mentioned, According to the 2020 State of Physical Access Report, the use of mobile access through the use of smartphone and wearables is the top trend shaping the access-control industry now and will do so in the near future. This trend will be amplified in the new normal as we start to look beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic. The COVID-19’s contagion has also increased attention towards mobile-access solutions that allow contactless verification of identity. The adoption of these technologies, therefore, will only continue to climb drastically. Close to 25 per cent of organizations globally have either fully or partially deployed with others citing strong interest and demand increase in their current and planned migration usage to mobile-access technologies.
Guruprasad believes the pandemic opens up completely new application possibilities, and the first ones are already being tested. The airline Etihad, for example, together with its Australian technology partner Elenium, has just presented a device to detect travellers with coronavirus. The device is designed to filter out infected passengers at the airport before they receive their boarding passes or hand in their baggage. The entire system is touch-free, with users controlling it with their words. Many new fields of application will be added, from automatic machines to robots.
Sharing a vital example on the upcoming opportunities in the public spaces, Guruprasad states, After all, who wants to press the keyboard or screen of a ticket machine in the future? And on the buttons in the elevator or even on the light switch in the stairwell?
Contactless at the airport!
Underlining the biggest challenge in the development of these solutions, Praveen said, Complying with necessary certifications and interoperability requirements. From a market perspective, contactless payments, access, and gesture-based systems have huge growth potential. We are at the early stages of deployment and acceptance of these technologies. The current pandemic environment along with the continuous digitization of systems will only accelerate the growth further.
Leading Innovation From Front
While Praveen stating about TI’s expertise cited, We have an extensive range of technologies enabling contactless access, payments and gesture-based interfaces. The most recent technology that enables contactless gesture-based interface is the mmwave radar-based sensors like the IWR6843, which was incubated at Kilby labs. Its unique aspect is that it works through intervening glass or other intervening non-concrete structures. One of the older technologies that we have been supporting is the NFC readers or transponders based on TRF7970A and other variants. BLE and Wi-Fi-based door locks are also an emerging segment. TI’s CC2640R2L(BLE) and CC3235S(Wi-Fi) offer high-security AES encryption accelerators in addition to ultra-low-power standby or active power consumption. It also comes along with the standard BLE5.x-based security features for BLE and WPA3 + FIPS 140-2 security compliances required for Wi-Fi.
TI also offers TOF sensors like the OPT8320 for gesture-based contactless interfacing. When it comes to camera-based platforms that support facial and/ or iris recognition, or gesture recognition, in a highly secure, temper-proof environment, TI’s processors like the AM4382 and the TDA4VM can be considered. These processors offer high levels of performance for video processing with hardware accelerators for deep learning. Lastly, TI’s DLP technology enables structured lighting-based 3D facial recognition for high-security access.
Prabhuraj foresees India’s security market holds abundant new opportunities. We are constantly innovating to create more connected and seamless building experiences for users by removing integration barriers between access control systems and smart building applications, services and IoT use cases. With our latest access control solutions, we can generate valuable insights by using machine learning analytics to improve security, personalize the user experience and make better business decisions. At HID, we have always been committed to provide safe security across the world. We are focusing on expanding more powerful and convenient security solutions to the high-end market and into various verticals based on mobile and cloud systems,. HID Global currently supports 60% of the world’s government ID programs, with 124 ID card programs implemented, 118 issuance solutions deployed and
40 system integration projects. With our strong product portfolio and innovation, we are confident to create a connected and secure contactless environment for customers.
Elaborating on NXP’s latest launches and technologies, Sanjay cited, Recently, NXP’s UWB chip was integrated into the flagship device of Samsung – Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, embarking the first-ever UWB-enabled android device leveraging a variety of applications and services for smartphones. The integration of NXPs UWB chip smart devices will pave the way in a world of digital opportunities such as sharing files wirelessly at a much faster speed than those of its predecessors. Moreover, the superior location tracking capabilities of UWB will enable the phone to position the user even in a crowded area with numerous signals and obstacles such as walls or others, (also called as SmartThings Find feature). UWB-enabled smartphones will provide an automated and intuitive connection experience between multiple smart devices in the future, ensuring a completely hands-free interaction with IoT devices such as security doors and connected cars. The Digital key services to unlock smart locks on doors and cars equipped with UWB technology, without using a separate key is another salient feature of this smart technology.
In addition to this, Sanjay said, We at NXP are leveraging the wireless technology in multiple use cases in the contactless ecosystem such as Indoor Navigation, Smart Homes, Factory Automation, Asset-Tracking, Logistics and connected vehicles among many more. Some other use cases of UWB are – Smart Car Access, Secure Wireless Payments (considered securer than NFC), Smart Retail & Asset Tracking (through smart UWB tags), Wearable Health Sensors along with tracking and monitoring of objects and people for smart surveillance.
Another focused area where NXP is leveraging its contactless technology is the transit systems. Transport corporations such as DMRC in Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore metro etc are maximizing the use of smart cards to implement a contactless ticketing system. In fact, we at NXP are enabling over 90% of transport ticketing implementations in India through our NFC compliant Mifare technology platform added Sanjay.
Guruprasad elaborates, Infineon Technologies has been at the forefront of creating new business avenues in these unprecedented times. With the chips of the German-based company, countless devices can be controlled by voice command or with gestures. Exactly 1.44 square millimeters in size is a silicon microphone with which Infineon enables voice control. Such electronic components can already be found in multiple versions in every smartphone, in wireless headphones or in smart speakers.
However, in the future it may not even need voice control. The radar chips from Infineon also record gestures. This means that the alarm clock on a cell phone can be switched off without even touching it..
Infineon is also working on various use cases internally and together with partners to work on demonstrators and solutions which can be implemented by businesses for post-COVID-19 workplaces. Here are some of the use cases which would find their applications in various industries incl. manufacturing plants, IT workspaces, hospitality etc.
- Entrance/exit counter: counts the number of people entering and exiting certain premises for crowd management without violating personal rights
- Smart lighting: eliminates manual switching on/off of lights using motion and presence detection
- Health monitoring: contactless health monitors that capture cardiac-respiratory vital signs
Expertise in Contactless Technologies
INFINEON
Infineon has been part of the definition and evolvement of contactless technology from the beginning. Say for instance, more than 47 percent of payment cards worldwide have an Infineon chip inside, with our market share in contactless payment cards being even higher.
To continuously advance contactless technologies, we have a contactless competence centre with a dedicated laboratory based in Graz, Austria. This team does not only constantly review the contactless infrastructure worldwide to provide maximum interoperability with Infineon’s contactless chips. They also make the chips more and more efficient and help customers to configure and tune them in the right way, so that they can even be used with smaller, special antennas or with special materials like metal cards.
As for our products, Infineon’s SECORATM Pay solutions combine state-of-the-art chip technology with the operating software, latest payment applets including off-the-shelf system approvals and reference designs. They are easy-to integrate and turn everything, from a smart card to a fashion accessory, into a contactless payment device for safe and seamless payment, transit & access transactions following open industry standards. The underlying contactless technology for the cards and readers is specified in the ISO/IEC 14443 standards and are using a 13.56MHz frequency. This wireless technology is designed to operate securely over very short distances (proximity) to enable a wide range of applications. On top of this, the technology is also compliant with the Near-Field Communication standard, or NFC. Those specifications created by NFC Forum allow its devices to use different communication protocols. As a result, NFC Forum Devices are able to communicate with various readers, cards and other devices hence providing a maximum of interoperability.
Besides security and contactless transaction quality, Infineon is also innovating in chip packaging: its inductive coupling solution called Coil-on-Module avoids a fragile connection between the chip module and the antenna and makes payment cards more resistant to inoperability due to frequent bending, environmental influences and aging.
Infineon’s XENSIV™ sensor family was developed to meet today’s sensing challenges in automotive, industrial and consumer applications. Building on the company’s in-depth system understanding, it is the broadest portfolio of sensor types on the market, giving customers the widest selection of ready-to-use solutions offering fast time-to-market. In the current pandemic situation, where businesses are scouting for solutions to go touchless and to implement social distancing norms, Infineon’s smart sensors including Silicon Microphone and Radar ICs can play a vital role.
High performance MEMS microphones from Infineon can be used to add voice user interface to virtually any application in order to go touchless and most intuitive. A few examples are building automation, ticketing kiosks, vending machines, banking terminals etc. The microphones are designed for applications where low self-noise (high SNR), wide dynamic range, low distortions and a high acoustic overload point are required.
On the other hand, Radar ICs based on 24 GHz and 60 GHz frequency bands, can be employed for numerous use cases ranging from simple motion and presence detection to vital sensing (heart/breath rate) and human machine interfaces via gestures. Presence detection through radar furthermore allows personal data security. The radar can see that there is a person, it doesn’t detect who it is.
Overall, we are committed to enable consumers a secured and convenient touchless experience: Whether it is a refrigerator, elevator or merchant payment, Infineon supports trends and developments towards a contactless living.
HID GLOBAL
HID Global has over 3 decades of expertise in the security space and over the course of this period we have introduced a number of solutions. We introduced contactless access control cards 30 years ago when it was still a relatively new concept and today our offerings are among the most trusted in the world. Apart from the contactless access control cards, we are also seeing an increase in demand for solutions that use mobile phones for access control.
NXP
The fear of contracting virus by the masses further propelled innovation in areas of contactless societies, autonomous state of cars, automation in industrial and IoT, wireless connectivity, etc. NXP having its expertise and leadership in the above discussed areas has constantly leveraged technology to build solutions that could revolutionize the connected ecosystem. We at NXP have utilized tech such as UWB and NFC to further fuel innovation across sectors. For instance,last year, NXP collaborated with BMW and Continental, to enable a global standard for handsfree smart access with precise, secure and real-time localization capabilities based on Ultra-Wideband chip, which can transform smartphones into digital and secure car keys. There are many new potential applications in automotive beyond smartphone access. This includes smartphone valet parking, where cars can be sent to park autonomously via a smartphone application; electric vehicle charging, for autonomous positioning of the vehicle on the charger; drive through payment, using localization for secure on the go payment; and using the car as a key, where it can seamlessly access a garage door and parking.
Thereby, extending the initial capabilities of smartphone from mere a calling device to a wide range of digital possibilities. Going forward, the contactless technologies can further be used to make on-the-go payments at toll booths instantaneously while also enabling remote valet parking. In fact, they are also helping the supply chains and smart cities ecosystem, in delivering products remotely via Robotaxis and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to distant places while effectively minimizing the chances of contracting the virus. Our vision is to extend the technology’s capabilities to demonstrate secure and convenient hands-free experiences to users in the field of smart access to cars and buildings, contactless payments, smart home automation triggered by the presence, smart retail and item tracking.
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
TI has been developing differentiated solutions for contactless payments, access and gesture-based systems for over 2 decades. We constantly work towards driving a better and more secure future for all.