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Someday, Your Car May Know If That's Your Butt In The Driver's Seat

"Oh dear, the car doesn't seem to recognize me." (1960 file photo from the U.K.)
Chaloner Woods
/
Getty Images
"Oh dear, the car doesn't seem to recognize me." (1960 file photo from the U.K.)

We're a little behind on this story, butt it's too fantasstic not to point out:

Researchers at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Industrial Technology have developed an anti-theft device for cars that senses whether the derriere sitting in the driver's seat is or isn't supposed to be there.

Not the right backside? Then the vehicle won't start.

Now, we assume there are all sorts of details that still need to be worked out. What if you loan your car to somebody else? What if your significant other doesn't want his or her can to be scanned? Is your ride going to start nagging you if you put on weight? Will cars in Scotland finally settle that age-old question about guys who wear kilts?

Some of the answers may be in this paper posted online by the school, but since we can't read it we don't know. We do love this little graphic, though, which appears to show the sweet spots, so to speak, when it comes to tushie technology:

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Is that you? Someday your car may know.
/ Tokyo's Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology
/
Tokyo's Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology
Is that you? Someday your car may know.

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.