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Heartbeat recognition could soon be used to unlock doors, start cars and even pay for your shopping thanks to new, wearable software currently under development. 

The Nymi is a lightweight, wearable wristband which authenticates a user's identity through their electrocardiogram (ECG) - or heartbeat rhythm.

Canadian company Bionym, the creator of Nymi, say the technology is more unique and harder to forge than a fingerprint.

The Nymi works through an electronics module that incorporates an ECG sensor with two electrodes

The Nymi's ECG recognition algorithms observe the shape of the wearer's heartbeat, extracting unique and consistent features.

The hi-tech bracelet works by reading the wearer's ECG 'wave pattern' and finding its unique identifiers to use as an alternative to asking for a Pin number or password.

The technology is currently being tested out with £9 million in funding from financial companies including Mastercard. 

The Nymi is a wristband which authenticates a user's identity through their ECG - or heartbeat rhythm

The hi-tech bracelet works by reading the wearer's ECG 'wave pattern' and finding its unique identifiers

It's creators say the Nymi is robust against a wide variety of health issues, and even if the rhythm of the wearer's heartbeat varies - for instance, during exercise - the shape of the unique ECG wave pattern is still recognisable and the device will still work. 

During authentication the system is able to ignore low frequency anomalies and will still correctly identify its owner, while a medical condition such as cardiac arrhythmia or the use of pacemakers will not impact the Nymi's performance because every heartbeat, even an irregular one, has a unique signature. 

Founded in 2011, Bionym is based in Toronto and the project is currently being privately-funded by Ignition Partners, Relay Ventures, Mastercard and Salesforce Ventures.

The Nymi Band is its first product, which it bills as a 'wearable technology device that delivers persistent identity experiences by using the wearer's unique electric cardiac signature as a biometric.'

Its creators say even if the rhythm of the wearer's heartbeat varies - for instance, during exercise - the shape of the unique ECG wave pattern is still recognisable and the device will still work

When the Nymi is activated, it communicates a secure, digitally signed identity credential via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to smart devices  - everything from a smartphone, to a vehicle, to a locked door.

Unlike an iris scan or fingerprint sensor, the device can take a reading without the wearer interacting with it. 

Balaji Gopalan, a director at Bionym, said: 'Anywhere you go the bracelet will identify you to other devices, which could be the payments wallet on your smartphone, or in future, cash machines, cars and computers.

'It is also mugger-proof because the bracelet forms a circular electrical circuit that wipes the device when disconnected - that is, taken off.' 

The wristband has an electronics module which incorporates an ECG sensor with two electrodes – located on the top and bottom of the module. One electrode touches the wrist, and one is exposed on the other side.

ECG data is captured when the user touches the top‐side electrode with the opposite hand.

The wearer is authenticated when they first put on the wristband, which enables continuous access to services and devices via wireless communication. 

As soon as it is removed from the wearer's body, it becomes deactivated.