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Kraft, Intel testing customer-recognizing kiosks

December 26, 2011

Kraft Foods is using an Intel-designed kiosk to analyzes shoppers' ages and genders in hopes of better marketing food products; iSampleallows Kraft to tailor the product to the shopper and exclude children from the adult-focused promotion that is offering dessert samples.

Intel told the BBC that it intends to retrofit the technology to existing vending machines to allow companies to study what type of people are buying their products.

The machine uses an optical sensor fitted to the top of the machine to recognize the shape of the human face. A computer processor then carries out a series of calculations based on measurements such as the distance between the eyes, nose and ears.

These calculations help determine the sex of the shopper and puts them in one of four age brackets that then chooses the most appropriate products to display

Kraft deployed one kiosk at The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and one at the South Street Seaport ferry service in New York to trial Temptations - a jelly-based dessert marketed as "the first Jell-O that's just for adults" If the machine detects a child it asks them to step away.

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