Facial recognition technology being used in London pub

Facial recognition technology being used in London pub

Facial recognition technology is being used in a busy London pub to enhance queue efficiency and stop people from cutting in.

The pub in London, England, is trialling facial recognition software to create a digital queue and prevent people from cutting in line, with customers faces, and their order in the queue, displayed behind the bar for all to see.

John Wyllie, managing director of DataSparQ, the company behind the technology, A.I. Bar, said: “We just want to make the experience more frictionless and fair”.

The A.I. Bar helps make ordering in busy boozers easier, faster and fairer by using the latest facial recognition technology to put punters in an “intelligently virtual” queue. Before and after data revealed there was an overall reduction in serving times as well, equivalent to more than 1,600 pints poured over a year to the average UK pub.

The system also speeds up ID checks, alerting a customer if it thinks they look under 25, prompting them to have their I.D. ready – or even letting bar staff know if they’ve already been checked.

John Wyllie said: “It’s the uncertainty of waiting times alongside queue jumpers that’s adversely affecting consumer behaviours in bars and pubs. The A.I. Bar ensures it’s a hassle free, first come, first served system that makes ordering drinks more convenient for both drinkers and bar staff alike.

“We are in talks with drinks companies and pub chain owners to roll out the technology nationwide in the next 12 months. The system can be installed anywhere and is scalable – so we are expecting it to start in bars and progress into music festivals and beyond.”

 

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