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Disney Enterprises, Inc. has come up with the stealthiest way yet to track visitors to amusement parks—but Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has no plans to use the new technique.
US Patent 9,393,697, titled "System and method using foot recognition to create a customized guest experience," sets forth a system which would use unobtrusive cameras, machine vision, and a database to bring about "a customized guest experience at an amusement park." The inventors note that "some people have sensitivity to using personal biometrics, such as iris or facial scans, for identification purposes," that a clear view of the face is required by those techniques, and that they can be confounded by dark glasses or other headwear. Instead, they propose that guests may be identified by the appearance of their feet. A guest's feet would be photographed at an "acquisition station" and machine vision techniques would be used to create a "foot model" that would be added to a database along with other information about the guest, such as a name or a favourite food. Later, the guest's feet would be photographed again at the same place, or elsewhere in the park. Images could be captured by the park's employees, robots, or stationary cameras. The guest's feet could be identified by comparing the later images to the foot model. The park operator could then "provide interactions that are personalized to that guest."
A Disney spokesperson said the company has no plans to deploy the system in its parks. Currently it tracks visitors by means of MagicBands, bracelets bearing RFID chips.
coverage:
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 08 2016, @08:01PM
After one meeting in end of 90's, the plan was to primary key all records with guest's SSN. Yup, come to the park, stay in our hotels, leave us all your finical records, for both you and your kids! Remember, they collect birthdays, for personalized service like Goofy calling on your birthday. It died about 6 months later, mainly on cost and question what to use for foreign visitors.. What was better was the group wanting to do it, did not do the research to even know that SSN are ALPHA (there are leading A instead of 0-9) and also can change in person's life time.
Remember the Front-of-House is pretty, Back-of-House is a meat grinder. It is a place instead of improving the interface or even having a lead time to make a change... throw more staff at it. It is cheaper!
(Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Monday August 08 2016, @09:40PM
My understanding is that SSNs are also re-used: another no-no for primary keys.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday August 09 2016, @07:40AM
I wonder how much of this is driven by people vandalizing the park. I know a goodly portion is marketing - to find out who the spenders are.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]