It's great to be recognized, isn't it? One of the most iconic of all American sitcom themes celebrated a place "where everybody knows your name." But it's even better when they know your face — and in countries around the world, consumers are eagerly using retail kiosks embedded with 3D facial recognition to confirm their identities and improve their shopping experience. 

3D technology is changing the way we interact with retail. Wherever you look, from inventory robots to customer research, sales displays, even virtual fitting rooms and store security, 3D imaging is creating a retail future that's more efficient and profitable. Today, 3D cameras are about the size of an AA battery and can instantly recognize objects, environments and people with split second accuracy. 

Paired with other devices, 3D cameras can be used to create a new virtual sales experience, with machine integration costing no more than the price of a good 2D digital camera. The most ubiquitous use for 3D in retail will be at the checkout. Kiosks with 3D facial authentication will make transactions faster and more secure, enhance loyalty programs and help to comply with local ordinances and regulations.  

Despite the common use of facial recognition in Asia, some countries, including the United States, have privacy concerns that have slowed the technology's deployment. In a transactional environment, security is the top concern, and depth sensing cameras can deliver financial grade security with just a map of your face.

Facial recognition, using 3D cameras, shines through the collection of more data points compared to fingerprint scanning, providing a much higher level of security than keypad entry and depth perception. 3D cameras capture the exact geometric information and contours of the user's face without being affected by lighting, coloring or the need for a traditional RGB camera. Facial data is stored as an encrypted mathematical model and matched to that individual's payment account ensuring maximum privacy protection.