The transformation of the automobile is also changing car access: With digital keys and other solutions for automatically opening cars Huf enables contactless access. Besides a high level of comfort in everyday life, safety is of course also a top priority. With Smart Emergency Access, Huf provides secure access to cars involved in accidents and does not leave drivers out in the cold even if the car battery is drained.
"Software solutions will determine the future of mobility," says Michael Kemnitz, Head of Innovations and Advanced Engineering at Huf. "But what happens when the digital brains run out of power? Or even worse, if the electronic systems fail in an accident and people are trapped in the car? As leading specialist for car access and authorization, Huf already offers smart solutions for an automotive future with gesture recognition and digital authorization systems. By means of the new Smart Emergency Access, we also ensure secure car access in emergency situations."
The Smart Emergency Access focuses on cars with seamless design. Especially in these models, where access solutions are integrated almost invisibly into the car body, alternative opening concepts for dangerous situations are indispensable. For example, if someone is injured in a car accident, every second counts. When approaching the car, first responders immediately recognize the conspicuous pull strap, which can be used to open the vehicle door. The advantage of the pull strap: Even if the car body is warped as a result of an accident, the pull strap offers a very good contact point, is easy to grab and withstands high tensile forces.
Reliable access and effective theft protection
However, in normal vehicle operation, Smart Emergency Access must not be recognizable. Together with car manufacturers, Huf develops individual solutions to enable invisible integration into the existing car design. Smart Emergency Access is only immediately recognizable in case of an accident. If the main control unit in the car has detected an accident, it sends a signal to Smart Emergency Access. Afterwards, the system opens a flap integrated into the car body and the first responders gains access to a pull strap.
Smart Emergency Access also helps when the car battery is drained. The NFC antennas made by Huf serve as digital interfaces that can be installed not only in the door handles, but also in various places in the car. The user simply holds the smartphone in front of the NFC reader in the vehicle and charges a battery in the car. The energy generated is used to authenticate the digital key on the smartphone and establish a direct connection between a rotating handle and the door lock in the vehicle. The user can unbolt the door lock and open the door with a gentle turn of the handle.
Authorized users and first responders can get into the car without any problems, Smart Emergency Access shuts out unauthorized persons and impresses with a high level of theft protection. Background: When the car battery is drained, the energy generated by the NFC charging is not only used for the direct connection between the handle and the door lock. This connection is only enabled when the digital key has been authorized on the smartphone. If this is not the case, the handle turns in freewheel mode, similar to a lock cylinder. This means that thieves have no chance. In an accident situation, this authorization is not required. In this case, the release for the direct connection to the door lock is permitted by the main control unit in the vehicle, which has detected the accident.
