Japan's face-authorizing cigarette machines no match for Bruce Willis photo

Remember those Japanese vending machines that use face recognition to scan for wrinkles and saggy skin before authenticating cigarette purchases? Surprise, they're so easy to circumvent that even a nicotine-addicted kid can do it. Turns out the cameras will authenticate "a 15-centimeter (6-inch) wide magazine photo of a man who looked to be in his 50s." Smaller clippings work too as demonstrated by a successful cigarette vend using a 3-inch photo of a woman in her 30s -- a 1-inch wide photo failed, however. Still, only 4,000 of Japan's 570,000 cigarette vending machines feature the cams and these are due for a software update in response to the flaw -- the rest use RFID readers to check the smoker's Taspo age-verification card. Nevertheless, we don't think it's much of a stretch to predict that this system, like that of DRM controlled music, is destined to fail.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[MastrCake @ Jul 1st 2008 4:08AM]

Smoke Free or Die Hard

[Ignatius @ Jul 1st 2008 11:50AM]

SuperCool, reading your posts is like injecting myself with liquid stupid.

[teej @ Jul 1st 2008 5:56PM]

when Generation Text and ebonics combine....i am...SUPERCOOLsplashrandombuttonswithshiftyaaaah111!1!11!!1123$#32

[Frederik @ Jul 1st 2008 4:09AM]

Old habit dies hard. Yippie kay yay mo-fo. I guess keeping the cigarettes behind the counter is still a better way for age verification.

[A.C.E.R. @ Jul 1st 2008 4:11AM]

I was going to say something relevant but that photo freaked me out and I forgot what it was.

[AceMcLoud @ Jul 1st 2008 9:01AM]

Me too, still running around in circles, scared ;-)

[Bernhard @ Jul 1st 2008 4:16AM]

Yuri!

[linuxamp @ Jul 1st 2008 4:19AM]

The vending machines around my city (in Tokyo) just got an upgrade but it's not biometric. They use a contact-less ID/debit card called "taspo". I just read that "taspo" is Japanglish for tobacco-access-passport.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080229f2.html

[johnzilla @ Jul 1st 2008 10:29AM]

I thought it was "Engrish"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engrish

[linuxamp @ Jul 1st 2008 10:42AM]

Na, Engrish is when they just mess stuff up. For instance, just today I saw a shop with signs in every window which read "Summer Sele!"

Japanglish (at least that's why my bilingual friends call it) is when the Japanese smash words together. For instance Mister Children -> Mizchiru or personal computer -> pasocon.

[linuxamp @ Jul 1st 2008 10:43AM]

Na, Engrish is when they just mess stuff up. For instance, just today I saw a shop with signs in every window which read "Summer Sele!"

Japanglish (at least that's why my bilingual friends call it) is when the Japanese smash words together. For instance Mister Children -> Mizchiru or personal computer -> pasocon.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 1st 2008 12:06PM]

Just who the hell are you addressing as Mr. Children?

[tiuk @ Jul 1st 2008 12:23PM]

Lowest, you almost made me choke to death on my lunch.

Well done.

[DrXym @ Jul 1st 2008 4:31AM]

Gosh this was totally unpredictable. There is NO WAY that an unattended machine can validate a person's age from a camera. It might make a good guess at someone's age +/- 10 years based on certain facial characteristics but it will always be possible to fool it. Kids could probably even buy a halloween mask and con the machine.

[telepheedian @ Jul 1st 2008 12:07PM]

Would be funny to see someone try this with a Guy Fawkes mask or something.

[erwin @ Jul 1st 2008 4:37AM]

and if you make a grimace? you will have wrinkles on your face...maybe that works too

[Chris @ Jul 1st 2008 5:01AM]

Using this system is like going into a store and seeing a sign that says "We don't check ID, but instead our clerk will judge if you're old enough to buy cigarettes."

[EricR @ Jul 1st 2008 10:01AM]

...and if you are really nice we will judge a picture of your father/mother/favorite actor.

[LocalToast @ Jul 1st 2008 5:09AM]

I have a DS game that recognizes facial features.

I held up a picture of Samuel L. Jackson, and it tried pointing out areas I should work on.

[DF @ Jul 1st 2008 5:10AM]

What about if you used make-up?

[Tits @ Jul 1st 2008 5:55AM]

Yep, now you need a ID card for buy cigarets in osaka... none of that nonsense!

[Arran @ Jul 1st 2008 5:57AM]

Someone should try with a picture of yoda or another humorous wrinkly/saggy skinned popular character and see if that works.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 1st 2008 12:07PM]

When it scans Yoda, it spits out Hemmorhoid cream, nicotine gum, and a portable oxygen system.

[Stanium @ Jul 1st 2008 6:02AM]

These vending machines can make a good atttraction "Guess what celebrity face passes the authentification" and make money on tourists.

[micha @ Jul 1st 2008 6:48AM]

anyone tried a picture from chuck norris?

[Andrew Borem @ Jul 1st 2008 8:52AM]

Chuck Norris is not addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is addicted to Chuck Norris.

[Happy Flamingo @ Jul 1st 2008 9:01AM]

I wonder how mimes would fare trying to get smokes at one of those.

[Lowest Ranked @ Jul 1st 2008 12:08PM]

I'm fairly sure mimes run rampant in France, not Japan.

[Mile @ Jul 1st 2008 9:05AM]

DRM is destined to fail? Now that Blue-Ray is the only option, I don't see how DRM will be going anywhere or am I the only one that thinks Sony is more stubborn than one-eyed horse?

[Vammo @ Jul 1st 2008 10:54AM]

Blu Ray is going away soon, too.

Electronically delivered entertainment, FTW!

[Harlo @ Jul 1st 2008 9:16AM]

It'll get you a pack of Red Apples. Filters? Naw.

[kidlj @ Jul 1st 2008 9:53AM]

我们这里没人管～

[kanzaki @ Jul 1st 2008 10:35AM]

heh.. Red Apples...

I was thinking more along the lines of:

"Nice hat." "teeheehee You like it?"

[Vammo @ Jul 1st 2008 10:53AM]

Multi-pass!

[couchpundit @ Jul 1st 2008 10:58AM]

Meanwhile, Bruce Willis visits Japan and tries to use a cigarette vending machine when the following sign appears on the display:

"Damn, Mr. Willis-sahn. You smoke too much. No cigarette for you."

Mr. Willis is subsequently arrested for destroying the machine.

[Brian! @ Jul 1st 2008 11:06AM]

I use the same technique to get into R-rated movies.

[Jona @ Jul 1st 2008 10:38PM]

They'll fix this fairly soon i assume. It would not be a huge challenge to add an extra bit of logic to recognize a still image. Stopping people holding up a laptop would be a challenge, but again that could be solved with an infrared sensor