The Google I/O was a virtual Android fans delight with Google firing off announcements and new stuff left and right. First we had the Smart Clothes, then came the Android M and now we have the Project Abacus — curtsey the folks over at ATAP.
Project Abacus — No, it’s not a new game — is Google’s attempt to create something that while more secure than the conventional passwords will also takes away the need to memorize complex patterns and sequences. In simpler words, it’s a security system. The project may be one of the more massive ones Google has undertaken, requiring the efforts of folks from over 33 Universities and by testing a massive amount of data in 10s of TB.
The Abacus Project is a behaviour based, Multi Modal system and matches the identity of the person trying to use the device to the behavioral patterns of the actual owner — that are also stored in the device. While making use of the more traditional methods such as face detection and voice matching, it also studies how you type words and what apps you use the most, generating a trust score based on how closely your behavioural pattern matches that of the actual owner.
The potential of such a system of-course is limitless. Not only will this system enable you to securely lock down and access your device securely, but may also lead to the development of an all-encompassing, smart security system that can do things like locking down all or some of the apps in real-time depending upon the person picking up the device.
The Project Abacus while still in the development phase is no pipe dream either. During testing, it successfully managed to recognize and differentiate between two different users, lending strength to the hopes that the day when we will no longer have to learn our passwords by rote, may not be quite so far off.
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