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‘Spooky’ Mannequins Outfitted With Facial Recognition Cameras Spy on Shoppers

Nov. 21, 2012 1:38pm Liz Klimas

Store employees and traditional security cameras might not be the only ones watching you while you shop. According to a report by Bloomberg, mannequins with cameras in their eyes will start tracking shoppers’ movements in some stores in order to improve layout and targeted marketing.

Bloomberg reported that the slightly more than $5,000 EyeSee mannequins by the Italian company Almax have cameras behind their eyes that use software to record stats like gender, race and approximate age using facial recognition technology.

EyeSee Mannequins by Almax Use Cameras and Facial Recognition Software to Provide Consumer Information to Store Owners

EyeSee mannequin by Alamax. (Image: Alamax, translated by Google)

Luca Solca, the head of luxury goods research at the London-based Exane BNP Paribas, told Bloomberg the technology — and the fact that it was embedded in a mannequin — is “spooky.” Nordstrom spokesman Colin Johnson expressed that this sort of technology pushes the issue of respect for customer’s boundaries.

On the other hand, Uché Okonkwo, executive director of consultant Luxe Corp, said to Bloomberg that it could help companies understand customers and “enhance the shopping experience.” Here are a couple examples about how the technology has been helpful to stores already:

A clothier introduced a children’s line after the dummy showed that kids made up more than half its mid-afternoon traffic, the company says. Another store found that a third of visitors using one of its doors after 4 p.m. were Asian, prompting it to place Chinese-speaking staff by that entrance.

It’s not without its legal issues though. Here’s more from Bloomberg:

U.S. and European Union regulations permit the use of cameras for security purposes, though retailers need to put up signs in their stores warning customers they may be filmed. Watching people solely for commercial gain may break the rules and could be viewed as gathering personal data without consent, says Christopher Mesnooh, a partner at law firm Field Fisher Waterhouse in Paris.

The mannequins are currently being used in a few European countries and the United States. A store you might be familiar with that purchased some of the technology, according to the New York Daily News, is United Colors of Benetton. But the clothier isn’t sharing with the Daily News or Bloomberg what it hopes to gain from the mannequins.

Bloomberg also noted that the company is testing “hearing” technology that would let the mannequins pick up on key phrases from customers as well.

Watch Bloomberg’s report on the mannequins:

Read more about the technology and its uses in Bloomberg’s profile here.

Featured image via Shutterstock.com.

(H/T: Business Insider)

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Comments (42)

lel2007
Posted on November 23, 2012 at 8:14pm
This is why I do all my shopping incognito and only use cash. Big Brother is everywhere.

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girlnurse
Posted on November 23, 2012 at 4:45pm
Decapitation is in order!!! Where are the Muslims when you need them?

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CAmom
Posted on November 23, 2012 at 1:42pm
Oh sure, what’s to worry about? It’s ONLY for marketing! There is nothing to fear with cameras everywhere equipped with facial recognition software – it’s just you crazy people and your tinfoil hats! You see plots everywhere. Just settle down and accept these new plot – er, plans – er, ah IMPROVEMENTS and don’t worry! Everything’s fine. This will NEVER be used for anything nefarious.

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SeekerEmerald
Posted on November 23, 2012 at 12:21pm
Wow is everyone jumping the gun on this one…

The article says that software will be looking at the images, not a person. There is no mention of “filming” and the only data that will be collected is demographic data. There is no mention of identifying shoppers, no mention of any saving images, etc.

Now, if one is going to claim that they will do MORE than they are indicating, well then I’d counter that that may already be happening, and if they want to keep it a secret, they simply won’t tell us.

As far as people shopping online to avoid this surveilance? If you buy something online, and ship it to your address, the retailer already has FAR more information on you than this silly camera system will be collecting.

If you don’t want to be tracked, that’s certainly reasonable, but not all the easy to do. If you don’t want to be tracked, you can’t use any credit or debit cards, only cash. You can’t use any loyalty cards unless they are not registered, or registered to fake information. This is only the begginning. there is much more that you cannot do if you want to avoid being tracked.

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- Robert Hawk
  Posted on November 24, 2012 at 7:14am
  You must have read over the words Facial Recognition used in the article a few times. Facial Recognition means the individual the specific person and not the general crowd. Marketing folks will not think twice about providing or selling to the government any information they request from the recordings these spy cameras provide. Further, you will have no idea who or what sorts of people the Marketing people provide this information to. Historically Marketing people have had no problem using to their advantage any tool available to them.
  Think of it this way; Marketing people now have a tool in their hands which they can use to blackmail shoppers if they so desire. If they need to boost sales, blackmail their shoppers who they know research can not afford attorneys or do not want their wives or the law knowing what is on those recordings of them… You get the picture (pun).
  This tool in the hands of Marketing, will not lead to a positive outcome. This is behavioral science gone amuck.
  
  Report this comment
busterpuddles
Posted on November 22, 2012 at 5:06pm
Why are mannequines made to look so droopy like that? That IS NOT sexy.

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the_truth_or_not
Posted on November 22, 2012 at 11:55am
I at first when I did not read the story I had no issues with it. I passed this story up since its been posted and decided to read it just now. I thought they would have been for security. After I found out it was for marketing purposes, I still didnt mind. After all when your in someones private property the have the right. Then what got me was face recognition. What the HOTEL ECHO LIMA LIMA is this technology doing in a marketing research tool. I dont think they need to know that you are Jane Doe residing at 123 fake street to get their marketing data. This goes far beyond what is necessary and down right scary. It doesnt take much to patch these cameras into the CIA, FBI, and local law enforcement data bases. Scary is not the word.

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- JEANNIEMAC
  Posted on November 22, 2012 at 3:20pm
  http://www.infowars.com/nsa-refuses-to-release-secret-obama-directive-on-cybersecurity/
  
  Report this comment
- yiska8
  Posted on November 22, 2012 at 8:19pm
  Creepy indeed! Another reason to shop online, even though everything online is watched and sold ten times over to marketers. At least I won’t feel those spooky mannequins watching and recording me! 1984 was a sweet fairy tale compared to what we have to deal with today.
  
  Report this comment
Secret Squirrel
Posted on November 22, 2012 at 10:49am
.
Ever see “Minority Report”?
Stores use retinal scanners and display video
marketing tailored just for you.

What could possibly go wrong?

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- Kupo
  Posted on November 22, 2012 at 8:45pm
  Minority Report was exactly what this made me think of as well.
  
  Report this comment
- G-WHIZ
  Posted on November 23, 2012 at 11:41am
  Sooooo…it’s OK for the FED/GOVT to do it COUNTYRT-WIDE… but not a departmentstore??
  
  Report this comment
Secret Squirrel
Posted on November 22, 2012 at 10:45am
.
…….and machine gun jumblies too!

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MRMANN
Posted on November 22, 2012 at 7:12am
Totally creepy, yet another reason to shop online.

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wthtamfm
Posted on November 22, 2012 at 5:09am
Well, as Uncle Hans would say, “We haff WAYS of watching these mannequins also.”

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- Jesse_J
  Posted on November 22, 2012 at 6:29am
  As long as it’s disclosed, I have no problem with it. Read fresh political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
  Report this comment
do_in_it_2
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 5:47pm
Profiling at it’s best.

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omgfolks
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 4:21pm
Facial Recognition Software are you kidding me? Who are these terrorist who keep combining information on American Citizens under the guise of Marketing? This type of thing needs STOPPED. This is just another example of goverment and their cronies over stepping their duties and Raping the Constitution of the United States of America.

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Advection
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:45pm
This is a very bad idea.

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ColoradoMaverick
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:39pm
Maybe they want to catch all of the perverted liberals who shop in these stores looking up the mannequins dresses!

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darkeningskies
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:00pm
ahhhhhhh…..nail polish and a good old fashioned middle finger salute

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VS
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:48pm
If y’all sit around and complain instead of Staying Out of These Stores…then you deserve what you get….A TOTAL POLICE STATE!!!
If they are recording your pic the whole time you are in the store then they are recording your conversation and passing ALL Information on to Big Brother and Who Knows Who Else….. wheather they know it or not!!!
Bankrupt these CREEPS!!!
I think we are past 1984 …. with all the crap that is supposed to be for OUR SECURITY!!!

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seek.the.truth
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:32pm
Will do my shopping on-line. No one is watching me here ……………yet.

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- starman70
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:49pm
  If they have facial recognition capability, and there is a running database of shoplifters, the store could save thousands in pilfered goods.
  
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- HMNSC
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:56pm
  Surely you are kidding. Nothing you do on-line is private AND you are paying with a credit/debit card AND you are supplying a physical ship to address.
  
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- seek.the.truth
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:00pm
  Worked in retail management–shoplifters always find a way to get their goods.
  
  I will never be comfortable with any store using spyware for any reason.
  
  Report this comment
- mbck1491
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:01pm
  So you think. They are watching you through your computer’s on board video cam.
  
  Report this comment
- Advection
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 3:50pm
  Computers, tablets, phones, and TVs already have cameras that look back at you. Of course, they’re watching you.
  
  Report this comment
- iKarith
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 5:44pm
  ORLY? Cookies? Spyware? Credit card info? Credit card companies selling your purchase information “in aggregate” to marketers? Google bypassing privacy settings to track you even when you say you don’t want to be tracked? Nobody’s watching you online, eh?
  
  Report this comment
- Robert Hawk
  Posted on November 24, 2012 at 7:28am
  Oh yea? Ever heard of flash? Its a program made by Adobe. Next time you are watching video on line; right click on the video screen and you will be amazed at what Marketers and the Government are doing with your computer. They can turn on your sound, your camera and store files on your computer if you allow it. So don’t think shopping on line is devoid of this same functionality… ever notice those videos running in the side bar? … Well right click on those and you will see them watching you. You can turn them off…. I would.
  
  The only way round this is to go through a proxy server and use a computer which does not have a camera or microphone attached (don’t use a laptop or tablet or smart phone). Only use an older computer which is directly wired (ethernet) to your system, that does not have a microphone or camera attached to the system. Further, go in the bios and password protect it and turn off wake on Lan features. This makes it the most difficult for Marketers and the government to access you and your system.
  
  Report this comment
TheMajority
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:31pm
Ski masks for everybody? How about islamic head wear?

How can a Human being feel comfortable, when spied on by anybody?

Technology changes, but the right to our privacy does not. We should have the right to physically destroy any devise that is spying on us, because I don’t think a mask would be very comfortable either.

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scrapadapolis
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:18pm
Hack the cameras and fill them with bugs…

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- Cavallo
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:32pm
  Or the sickest most twisted porn you can find on the net.
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 7:54pm
  That’s a bad idea…they will be very grateful for the porn…..
  
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00100111
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:09pm
Here’s more from Bloomberg: “We want this on every street corner!”

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WSI2
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:03pm
So, lets get this right. Once again Blunderberg announces facial recognition cameras being placed in New York City stores using mannequins as to not allow the public to know where these cameras are and are manufactured by a Italian company.

Now the idiot of New York also states the system uses software to record stats like gender, race and approximate age using facial recognition technology. I am wondering what else the stored data will be used for. This is New York City, you know, the city that bends the rules and looks for every little loophole it can find to track and retain personal information on as many citizens and visitors it can. A city that tells its citizens what to drink, what to eat, what you can do and what you cant do, how to raise your children, etc….

New Yorkers, when in the world are you going to stand up and fight for what is right or are you all just cowering in the closet as the city takes control of every aspect of your life.

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Starstruck
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:48pm
Yeah, thats not creepy. No, not at all…

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- Stelex
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:07pm
  This whole country is getting creepy. But its for the public good……..rrrrriiiiight
  
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GhostOfJefferson
Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:40pm
I for one applaud this. It will make me seem much less…quirky…when I stroll up and strike up conversations with mannequins like I do now. I can just say that I’m talking to the surveillance operator.

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- howard
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 1:54pm
  it is1984
  
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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:20pm
  I guess I am going to have to start carrying some sticky dots to put over mannequin eyes, in the near future.
  
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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on November 21, 2012 at 2:29pm
  @Howard
  
  It was a joke
  
  @Anonymous
  
  Indeed, that springs immediately to mind. This might have worked, for a while, if there hadn’t been a huge public announcement.
  
  Report this comment

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