US restaurant chain CaliBurger has teamed up with NEC to trial an ordering system that uses facial recognition to identify customers, recall their preferences and help them complete their order.
In September InAVate reported on a similar system launched in China by KFC. However, the CaliBurger trial seems to go one step further by linking a customer’s face to their loyalty account but currently doesn’t support payment via facial recognition.
The kiosks, currently on trial at CaliBurger’s Pasadena restaurant, use NEC’s NeoFace facial recognition software. The trial could lead to a global roll out - with the addition of payment support - in 2018.
John Miller, chairman and CEO of Cali Group, said: "Face-based loyalty significantly reduces the friction associated with loyalty program registration and use; further, it enables a restaurant chain like CaliBurger to provide a customized, one-on-one interactive experience at the ordering kiosk.
"Our goal for 2018 is to replace credit card swipes with face-based payments. Facial recognition is part of our broader strategy to enable the restaurant and retail industries to provide the same kinds of benefits and conveniences in the built world that customers experience with retailers like Amazon in the digital world.”