That sci-fi idea is closer to reality than you think.

Ford is applauding its latest patent - the Vehicular Facial Recognition System.

Much as your phone won't unlock unless it "sees" your face, so will Fords of the future.

Ford’s idea for vehicular-based facial recognition works much like existing systems in that the vehicle would use cameras and sensors capable of recognizing a person’s face, after which it could unlock the doors and allow that person to enter the vehicle. The system could store multiple faces in its memory banks so that more than one driver can gain access to the vehicle this way, which is rather convenient compared to pulling out a key or punching in a code, though phone as a key essentially eliminates the need for those actions as well. (Source: Fordauthority.com)

Who knows? The days of saying, "I forgot where I put my car keys!" may soon be a thing of the past.