It’s here, the Amazon Orville biometric technology.

Amazon, a significant competitor to Walmart, is a company based in Seattle, Washington that is involved in many sectors — including eCommerce, grocery, cloud computing, and more. Founded in 1994, Amazon continues to push the boundaries of technology, exploiting to serve the customer better.

Biometric Hand Scanning Currently in Test Phase

A new technology that Amazon is currently testing is the ability for Whole Foods customers to scan their hands as biometric devices to pay at the register.

Now, the technology is being tested on Amazon employees in their New York offices, allowing them to buy snacks at vending machines. This technology differs from other physical scanning devices in that the hardware measures the dimensions of the user’s hand to identify instead of physical touch or fingerprint scanning.

After scanning the user’s hand, their account credit card is charged.

What can we expect in the future from Amazon Orville biometric technology?

Amazon’s goal is to use the new technology to improve efficiency and increase the speed of the checkout experience at Whole Foods locations, with the hopes of launching in a group of Whole Foods locations beginning in 2020. The new system, currently named under the project title “Orville,” will also negate the need to carry a credit card for purchases, and will lift the customer experience positively on the whole.

I find this emerging technology fascinating because it’s an information system where the user takes part in the process as a pseudo-hardware component. I can’t help but ask the question — will the line between hardware and the physical body continue to blur as technology develops into the future?

I’m a huge fan of Amazon and I know great things are going to continue to come from the company. They expect the best, and they push for greater.

I like that attitude, and can’t wait to get my hand scanned for some items at Whole Foods in the future.