SMK Electronics is teaming up with the Israeli startup CAARESYS to develop a new line of biometric passenger sensors that will be incorporated into the next generation of motor vehicle systems. The contactless sensors are designed to measure occupancy, which means they will be able to determine how many passengers are in the car, and whether or not those passengers are wearing seat belts.

The new sensors will also be able to distinguish adults from children and monitor the heart and breath rate of every passenger. The partnership was formed in anticipation of self-driving cars, which could benefit from knowing how many passengers are present while the car is on the road.

“The automotive in-vehicle market is poised to significantly expand with the coming of autonomous vehicles,” said Tetsuo Hara, the Executive Vice President of SMK. “Sensing occupancy is critical, but it will be equally important to know and monitor passenger status through the use of biometric sensor technologies.”

While other companies have showcased biometric identification and interaction systems for vehicle operators, the SMK-CAARESYS system will extend those features to other passengers in the car. The collected data is intended to make the ride safer, while the sensors themselves will be robust enough to be unaffected by any bumps in the road while driving.