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Taiwan Develops Face-Recognition Vending Machine

Posted by timothy on from the you-want-food-drink-and-merriment dept.

angry tapir writes "Government-funded researchers in Taiwan have developed a vending machine that recommends purchases based on people's faces. We've previously discussed a Japanese vending machine that recommended drinks based using facial recognition. The Taiwanese machine can look for clues like whether a person has glasses, a beard or a mustache and based on that it guesses their use of make-up or frequency of shaving. It then might recommend a facial mask, razor, or health products that people in a certain category are statistically likely to buy."

5 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. academic Vs. real-life by Tomahawk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While I can appreciate this sort of thing from an academic perspective (it's quite impressive, actually), I find the idea of this in the real world quite sickening. Not sure I like the idea of a vending machine putting me into a category based on how I look. Or based on anything, for that matter.

    Why can't a vending machine just be a vending machine?

    Me: "Hmmm - I think I'll have a mars bar"
    Vending Machine: "Are you sure? You look like you need a razor, a box of tampons, and a coke"
    Me: Fist-of-death

  2. Might work like this: by anti-pop-frustration · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Scanning...

    You've been identified as:
    - Elton John
    - Chewbacca
    - Hitler
    - Morbidly obese middle-aged guy
    - 15 years old Taiwanese schoolgirl

    Computing recommendation...

    Here, why don't you try $MOST_EXPENSIVE_PRODUCT ?

    Our super-advanced recommendation technology has determined it's just what you need!

    1. Re:Might work like this: by Dunbal · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Or probably like:

      1. Get customer to look at shiny lights
      2. Pretend to be deciding based on looks
      3. Randomly select products from inventory based on expiration date and profit margin, but throw in a few less frequent items so that it's not so obvious.

       

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  3. Re:So did the Japanese by jandersen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Japanese always invent first. The Chinese just steal the IP and clone it. :)

    30 years ago: Americans always invent first. The Japanese just steal the IP and clone it. :)
    60 years ago: The English always invent first. The Americans just steal the IP and clone it. :) ...

    Perhaps this comment was a two-edged sword?

  4. Re:Where have I seen this before? by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Try teaching this machine about the history of the East India Company.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au