Face Recognizing Machine Decides if you are Old Enough to Smoke
9 Comments By Tal Siach on November 7th, 2007 in Customer Experience
There are so many different vending machines available. We pass by many that sell drinks, food, ice cream and candy, even automated kiosks that sell gadgets and electronics (usually located at airports).
I Must admit, I have never seen a face recognizing machine!
Vending machines are technologically developing more and more. I remember it began with paying with coins, then bills, then a credit card, sometimes with a cell phone and now your thumb can pay for gas as well. Although the latter is not a vending machine, it illustrates an additional possible payment method. With that, vending machines are simply becoming more and more technologically advanced.
Now there is a new vending machine being developed in Japan that will include face recognition software to determine if cigarette purchasers are old enough to smoke.
While cigarette vending machines are very convenient to many, its vulnerability is granting the ability for minors to buy cigarettes as well.
When a client requests a purchase, a camera will take a picture and based on wrinkles, sagging around the eyes and additional criteria will determine whether to sell the cigarettes or not. Textually mentions that in a test with over 500 people ranging from teenagers to 60 year olds, the machine was 90% accurate. In times when the vending machine cannot make a viable decision, it requests an ID, so it can compare the picture it took with the ID for authentication.
I must admit that this sounds pretty amazing. I am personally looking forward to see aditional technological innovations.
Via: Sci Fi Tech
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Related Tags: cigarettes, digital, Faces, ID, innovation
November 7th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Wow. See, this is why I come to Walyou every day. You share the neatest stuff! I love technological advances, and think this is a great idea. I’ve always wondered about cigarette machines, as anyone can use them.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:06 am
Couldn’t you just make a funny face at it and get some cigarettes?
November 9th, 2007 at 12:22 am
Hi Neece and Justin, thank you for dropping by.
@Neece: Thank you for your support. We are glad that you enjoy the posts and information.
When we saw this, it made sense. Vending machines for cigarettes have no ‘last line of defense’. This seemed like some form of solution..at least it could reduce the amount of minors buying cigarettes from these machines.
@Justin: Maybe that would be the special “hack” that would allow minors to trick the machine.
Thanks for coming back Justin.
November 9th, 2007 at 10:41 am
While it’s a clever idea, it’s probably not the most constructive use of technology.
If you think about it, a really bad habit is being dignified by the work of scientists who probably didn’t intend their work be used for such things…
November 10th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Hey Wayne, you have a point.
You are right, the scientists probably wanted bigger and better things done with their research. But if this technology is available, why not use it for additional means, such as to try and prevent additional minors from smoking?
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Very interesting… as always! Cheers from Switzerland.
November 30th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
[...] that age recognition is important, such as to determine if individuals are of a legal smoking age (here). But what would the gender recognition assist with, besides the more frequent sexist remarks [...]
December 15th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
January 29th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
[...] shell out vacuum sealed reefer day or night. These are 24 hour vending machines which may not be face recognizing but are still secured to keep the non-patients [...]