UCSD Biometric Vending Machine

dice writes to tell us that grad students at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are creating the first biometric vending machine. The current machine comes equipped with a barcode scanner, a fingerprint reader, and a web cam for facial recognition. One student dubbed it the "most over-designed soda machine in the world." The project, code-named "SodaVision," is the brainchild of associate professor Stefan Savage, but it was the students who really made it come to life. And yes, it runs Linux.

Re:Hmm..

[v783650]

Just because it's impractical doesn't make it useless. I'm sure the engineers behind it learned many valuable lessons. Why all the hate? There's nothing wrong with science for science's sake.

Re:afraid to vote..

[painQuin]

it's a vending machine... not a voting machine ...

This makes no sense

[pHatidic]

Combining biometrics makes identification less accurate. Using both face recognition and a finger print scan would be less accurate than using either alone. For a source, see John Daugman's webpage [cam.ac.uk]. He is the one who invented the algorithm that modern iris scanners use.

Anyway, methinks some investors are being taken for a ride here.

Re:I've been wondering about this . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Any facial recognitiion experts out there care to weigh in?

Better yet, get one of those Mac tablet thigs (iBook?) and have it show the machine a JPEG of someone else's face.

I christen thee...!

[misterhypno]

And it allows the diet police to KEEP you from GETTING that Pepsi that you so desperately want, too!

This thing has the capability of monitoring WHO is using it, WHAT they are buying, and, with very little hassle on the server end, running a database of "healthy/NOT healthy" purchases and locking a user out who has too many "Not Healthy" buys on his or her record. Given the move towards lack of choice in school lunches - how long will it be before companies and even grogery stores start using this technology to remove even MORE freedom of choice from the American consumer?

Every bright side has a dark one and I have the feeling that I just nailed down where the dark side of THIS force happens to be.

Therefore, I christen this vending machine: "DARTH VENDER!"

Lee Darrow, C.H.
Chicago, IL