Motiv’s fitness ring set to bring ECG Biometric authentication, NFC-mobile payments: CES 2019

Motiv is gearing up to bring ECG (Electrocardiogram) biometric authentication, and NFC-enabled mobile payments via a software update in later 2019. The company has made the slew of announcements at CES 2019. The fitness ring measures heart rate as a means to track your exercise and activity. Now it intends to use heart rate readings as a fingerprint to confirm the identity.

Earlier, Motiv used Walk ID or gait or the way you walk as a security measure to confirm the authentication. The company has tested thousands of walking sessions to eliminate false positives and confirm the owner wearing the ring. Since each person has a unique pace of walking, the ring used it as a fingerprint to confirm the identity.

Now, the heart-rate sensing security feature works in a manner similar to the walk ID. Every person’s heart gives unique signals in their heart rates. Motiv employs Electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the readings and confirm the identity. After confirming the readings, the ring communicates with Point-of-sale (POS) terminals to authorise the payments. Motiv is planning to add the new functionality to the device through a software update in the second half of 2019.

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Although the company claims the mode of authentication to be accurate, it remains to check the accuracy of the ring in cases of heart irregularities. Further, it would be exciting to see how the company would fit the new feature into the ring’s form factor.

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