Business Challenges
Anker is currently reinventing its existing products to align with the Internet of Things. This includes identifying key points and products where such innovations could be achieved. More specifically, the company focuses on reinventing existing solutions for PoS without having to undergo major infrastructure changes for the clients.
One such innovation is a Face Recognition application that could boost the Anker PoS product adoption across multiple industries where a single PoS is operated by multiple cashiers.
Project Description
SoftServe’s development of a Face Recognition solution for Anker, began with an Innovation Workshop, when a team of our experts visited Anker in Bielefeld, Germany to brainstorm where innovative approaches could be applied. A concept of a Face Recognition solution for the cashier authentication was de veloped that integrates Anker Cash Cassettes hardware with PoS tablets, allowing the register to be unlocked and the cassette opened only by an authorized cashiers. This lead to an increase in productivity over the traditional use of access cards, passwords or simple keys, which could be easily forgotten or lost.
The developed proof of concept consists of the Face Recognition service running on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and a simple iPad application, communicating with the cash cassette via pre-defined protocol, allowing the cashier authorization by face and the cash cassette opening once successful.
The innovative part of this solution is the Face Recognition technology. It allows precise identification of a person which can be used in various contexts and applications. The approach is based on the Deep Neural Network and runs on GCP utilizing Vision API toolbox for face detection.
Value Delivered
As the result of the project, SoftServe delivered a mobile application and the backend service that performs the actual Face Recognition that runs on GCP.
This solution radically improves productivity of workers who operate with the Point of Sales. It makes the cashier authorization process more secure by eliminating the need in access cards or passwords. It also accelerates the login procedures and reduces idle time if cashiers lose their cards or forgot the password. As well, it reduces possibility for unauthorized users to open the cash cassette, providing greater control over access to money.
The SoftServe team works as a technical partner to advise Anker on numerous possibilities for innovation and identify a range of use-cases, as well as providing a technical support for the realization of such solutions.
