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butthurt [soylentnews.org] writes:

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, [justia.com] 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:

• Los Angeles Times [latimes.com]
• Network World [networkworld.com]
• Newser [newser.com]
• Orlando Sentinel [orlandosentinel.com]
• PCMag [pcmag.com]

Original Submission