Stuttgart Airport Shop Turns to AI for Alcohol Age Checks

EDEKA Jaeger, part of the EDEKA Group, is introducing an AI-based automatic age recognition system at the self-service checkouts in its 24/7 store at Stuttgart Airport. The system, developed by Diebold Nixdorf, allows customers to authorize the purchase of age-restricted items like alcoholic beverages quickly without employee intervention.

Dubbed “Vynamic Smart Vision I Age Verification”, the system analyzes a customer’s face to verify their age in less than 10 seconds, improving transaction speed and reducing staff workload. According to EDEKA Jaeger and Diebold Nixdorf, the deployment has seen over 80 percent of age-restricted purchases automatically approved in its first week, enhancing the shopping experience for travelers.

The system complies with GDPR, ensuring no facial recognition or data storage occurs.

The EDEKA Group is one of the leading supermarket organizations in Germany. Among other things, its EDEKA Jaeger shop at Stuttgart Airport sells alcohol, prompting the need for an age verification solution.

“The creation of quick, simple purchasing processes for customers and my employees is key. This is what makes our store at Stuttgart Airport so attractive for busy travelers,” explained store owner Florian Jaeger. “To achieve this, I am always open to explore new innovations. Thanks to AI support, we have already been able to drastically reduce employee interventions for age checks.”

For its part, Diebold Nixdorf has a history of experimentation with biometric technologies. For instance, in the early 2000s, Diebold began integrating fingerprint scanners in ATMs to combat fraud and simplify the authentication process. Over the years, the company has continued to evolve its biometric capabilities, focusing on more advanced and less intrusive methods like facial recognition and iris scanning, ensuring a balance between user convenience and strict security protocols.

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April 30, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy