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UCSD Biometric Vending Machine

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the tracking-your-soda-habits dept.

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.

3 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm.. by yourOneManArmy · · Score: 5, Funny

    When I read the summary I thought, "Hey this sounds pretty useless, but maybe I just missed something." Then I read the article, and I'm still thinking, "Hey this sounds pretty useless."

    1. Re:Hmm.. by heinousjay · · Score: 5, Funny

      There is absolutely nothing wrong with science for science's sake. This, however, was engineering for engineering's sake, which is one of the most evil forces in the universe.

      --
      Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
  2. A better feature for this device by Durrok · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hello! Thank you for using soda vision! You have ingested: 250 grams of sugar today, 1,800 grams of sugar this week, and 7,212 grams this month for a grand total of 15.9 lbs! Congratulations, you are a candidate for TYPE A Diabetes!

    --
    I keep telling myself I'm not the desperate type.