Japanese university trials face payments for users wearing a mask

Kansai University Japan Higashiosaka campus
BIOMETRIC: Masked face payments are being tested at four cafes on the university’s Higas-Osaka campus

Students and staff at Kindai University in the Japanese city of Osaka are testing a biometric payments service that enables them to authenticate payments with their face even when they are wearing a mask.

The university is trialling the facial recognition system in four cafes on its Higas-Osaka campus, enabling users who have registered their facial images, credit card details and a security code to pay for food and beverages by looking at a tablet at the checkout.

The system “uses artificial intelligence to analyse facial characteristics, such as those around the eyes,” Japanese news outlet The Japan News reports.

“Kindai University and [technology provider] Glory began testing a facial recognition payment service in April. The service initially required users to remove their masks, but functionality was enhanced in July to recognise people wearing masks.”

“The university plans to officially introduce this service from October or later, after verifying test results,” the publication adds.

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