Currency exchange machines equipped with facial recognition technology have been deployed in various airports and travel hubs throughout Europe to combat money laundering.
Swiss manufacturer ECEX Group has integrated facial recognition software developed by the UK-based Innovative Technology into its Automatic Currency Exchange (ACE) machines. This technology, housed within a compact device called ICU Pro, provides real-time facial recognition and user tracking, enabling the system to monitor a customer’s previous exchanges to ensure compliance with transaction limits.
If a customer’s exchange limit is not reached, their facial data is stored locally for a day, allowing the system to track any further exchanges within that timeframe and prevent the threshold from being exceeded.
The ACE machines are currently operational in Geneva Airport, Billund Airport in Denmark, Boryspil International Airport in Ukraine, as well as at the Hilton and Opera Hotel in Kyiv.
Andrew O’Brien, biometrics product manager at Innovative Technology, commented, “Currency exchange is a complex process that necessitates responsibility and regulatory compliance. Our biometric technology can link customers’ transactions, and this approach presents exciting opportunities in gaming, where it could help protect customers from excessive gambling.”