FaceKey applies for biometric patent to secure vending machines
Contrary to other reports, technology will not be used to purchase snacks; instead, vending companies will provide their drivers portable readers which they will have to attach in order to gain access to the cash compartment; mobile approach enhances security at an economical price
When executives at a Texas soda bottler realized they were losing cash out of their machines, they first looked at their delivery drivers. No doubt the drivers resisted such accusations, for the truth of the matter is that almost anyone could have access to the key, there being so many people who have held delivery jobs at one point or another. Having failed to identify a suspect, the company then wondered if they could better secure their machines by bypassing the keys altogether. Their first step was a meeting with San Antonio-based FaceKey, a company best known for its biometric building access control and time and attendance systems. FaceKey appears to have succeeded in meeting the bottler’s expectations and has filed for a patent on its “biometric access control system for vending machines.”
To be clear (and here is where published reports have been incorrect), the system is not intended for consumer use. The days of trying to exchange a wrinkled dollar bill for a Snickers bar are still with us. FaceKey instead in using biometrics
