Remember the movie Minority Report and how stores and advertisements would be able to recognize a person and greet them accordingly? For those who may not have watched the movie or have forgotten, there are scenes in the movie where Tom Cruise’s character enters a departmental store and a billboard advertisement, and by scanning his eyes they were able to recognize him, and greeted him and listed his preferences.It’s a pretty neat feature and it does add a personal touch to the whole affair, and it looks like the technology is here and already exists The Venetian resort in Las Vegas. Through the use of clever camera positioning and powered by Intel software and displayed on NEC monitors, users who pass by will be recommended restaurants and venues for entertainment.
However instead of scanning eyes, the software actually scans faces and while we’re not sure what algorithm is being used, it seems that the software will scan your face and be able to tell roughly what age group you belong to, and tailor a suggestion to you based on your age. For example if you were to walk by a shoe store and you’re in your late teens, it would then suggest something young and trendy, or if you’re a parent and you walked past a fast food joint with your 7 year old, and upon scanning the face of your child, it might suggest a kids meal and etc.
Naturally we expect over time and with further refinements, the software should be able to detect more than just age and sex, but for now those staying in Las Vegas should probably head on down to The Venetian and give the technology a spin!
Filed in . Read more about Advertising, Facial Recognition and Intel.