Taiwan Develops Face-Recognition Vending Machine

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."

Comments

Recommend a facial mask?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, that's a great marketing strategy.
"Hey you! You're face looks like it could use a mask!"

Re:Recommend a facial mask?

[BisexualPuppy]

You laugh because you have evidently never traveled to Portugal.

Re:Recommend a facial mask?

[Chrisq]

Are you implying that women have beards and mustaches?

hey, leave my mother out of this

academic Vs. real-life

[Tomahawk]

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

Re:academic Vs. real-life

[guyminuslife]

Maybe it's a Japanese thing. Wii Fit does something like that. I used it at a friend's place a couple of times; ever since then whenever he or his girlfriend uses it, it asks, "Have you seen recently? He hasn't been exercising. Has he gotten fatter?"

I have, but that's none of Nintendo's fucking business.

Re:academic Vs. real-life

[Chrisq]

Meh, it's more like this: There's a big bright LCD showing mindless ads about tampons, coke and whatnot, that you're already used to seeing and ignoring.

You: "Hmmmm - I think I'll have a mars bar" Vending Machine (notices your stubble): "Quality razors 10% off today." You: "Mmmm, mars bar..." (ignore the ad as usual) OR You: "Fuck, shaving the other day with the dull blade was annoying as hell. Might as well grab one of these while I'm out of my mom's basement."

Or "You look like the guy who vandalised this machine last week. Sledge Hammers 10% off"

philosophical issue

[chichilalescu]

maybe I'm weird, but at some point I talked to my friends about rashes from shaving, and how to avoid them, and it seemed like an intimate discussion. What would happen to humans as social animals, if a lot of these physiological issues would be "discussed" only with automated systems?
I mean... our minds are housed in these machines. Taking care of these machines is a big part of our time, and yet we have moments when we consider all this to be nonessential ("I am a thinking mind, concerned with math and science, not a body"). However, what would it really mean to remove all of the conversations about taking care of the machines from our social interactions?
Maybe I'm just in a "back to the trees" phase today, sorry if this is seems like a nonissue.

Re:philosophical issue

[somersault]

No, I agree. I also think that we try too hard to push out all the natural parts of taking care of our body, and this affects the rest of our life negatively. I feel much better when I'm keeping active for example.

I read this article recently and it makes a couple of really good points about many guys thinking that being fit means having big muscles, or people thinking of exercise as a mind numbing and agonising punishment for overeating rather than something to enjoy.

I do Parkour, which is very similar to that MovNat stuff in its philosophy, seeing as they both were inspired by the teachings of George Herbert. There are a lot of great things about modern life, but most people would be happier if they got "back to the trees" a bit more often, figuratively speaking.

Might work like this:

[anti-pop-frustration]

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!

Re:Might work like this:

[Dunbal]

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.

 

Imagine Stallman using one of these things...

[abednegoyulo]

Stallman: Give me some coffee
Machine: Its best if I will give you some razor
Stallman: sudo Give me some coffee
Machine: Coming right up!

Some new kind of kink

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Vending Machine: "Are you sure? You look like you need a razor, a box of tampons, and a coke"

I am not familiar with this kink, but it sounds like it might have potential.

Remember folks, as long as no one gets hurt, kinky sex is good, clean, wholesome Christian fun.

Re:So did the Japanese

[jandersen]

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?

An the target market is....

[mevets]

the person that wants to spend money, but just can't quite imagine what he needs? That is a pretty cynical, but could be amusing after a couple of drinks.

It would be more interesting as a profile generator - put a dollar in and it tells you what it knows thinks of you. "You are overweight, have poor muscle tone, droopy eyes and carry overpriced gadgets" -> are you a programmer?

It could be a feature of singles night - to suggest who you should hit on, or advise you to just go home...

I'm going on a diet

[WinstonWolfIT]

Damn thing kept offering me only Lil' Debbie snacks.

Re:Where have I seen this before?

[MichaelSmith]

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

In the future...

[Kid Zero]

Vending Machine: "Oh, it's you."
Self: "Shut up and gimme the usual."