Joanna Eberts

It's me, I swear! Just check out my fingerprint...

It was 2 a.m. and the hours had extended indefinitely since I had started working on this assignment. I was exhausted and I needed sugar in my bloodstream, so I decided to assault the closest vending machine to grab a cup of caffeine. I walked to the end of the floor, where the vending machine and its assortment of refreshments resided, and reached inside my pocket. Nothing. I checked the other pocket. The same result. In my exhaustion-induced stupor, I had forgotten my student ID. Oh, how I wished that machine could scan my fingerprints, debit my student account, and finally dispense its much-coveted contents!

During the short — albeit fast-paced — walk to my room, I wondered: Why don’t we have any biometric solutions on campus? There must be a very compelling reason. So, after retrieving my ID, along with a medley of high-calorie snacks, I conducted a little online research.

There are two categories of biometrics. The first is physical — a device will study your fingerprints, your eyes, your veins, etc., to make an identification. The second is behavioral, and could conduct an analysis of your signature or your speech patterns to verify your identity. Let’s assume that a physical biometric solution is the cheaper (yet still effective) route for RIT to buy into.

The two most widely known human physiological traits are one’s fingerprints and irises. However, an eye scanner would be overkill for campus implementation and they are excruciatingly expensive. To put things in perspective, Panasonic's BMET200 Eye Scanner has a retail price of $2,732, whereas the Silex USB Fingerprint Reader sells for $167. Therefore, a fingerprint reader would be a better choice. If Walt Disney World can scan customers’ fingerprints to verify whether that same customer has used a single ticket on consecutive days, why can’t RIT implement the system for food purchases?

After verifying that a fingerprint solution could be cost-effective and practical, I decided to search for a vending machine with a pre-included fingerprint scanner. Surely, someone must have thought about this already. Indeed, that was the case. Vencoa, a California-based vending machine distributor, manufactures vending machines with fingerprint-reading capabilities. Even though a price was unavailable on their website, this proved my point: Biometric solutions could be used on college campuses.

In all fairness, RIT is not the only unwilling institution. High prices and the convenience of existing commercial solutions have prevented the mass adoption of biometrics for a long time. I have yet to see or read about the first university to use biometrics in any form or way in the United States. (If you know about any instance, shoot us an e-mail.)

Isn’t the goal of technology to help us cope with the humdrum of life as efficiently as possible? Shouldn’t we try to enhance current processes if there is an attainable option that would genuinely improve the way we do things?

Now, President Destler, could you please make our vending machines more user-friendly and convenient? Mickey Mouse is showing us the right path! How hard or expensive can it be?