S7 Airlines, a oneworld® global airline alliance member, is the first company in Russia that plans to use the face recognition technology in the everyday operation of the business lounges at Moscow Domodedovo Airport. The software based on trained neural networks will allow to identify S7 Airlines passengers and personalise services for visitors of the business lounges.
The plan is that the video cameras installed at the entrance to the business lounges will recognise the passengers of S7 Airlines and also track those among them who left the business lounge on time and those who need to be reminded that the boarding time is approaching. The system is based on the computer vision technology integrated into the TV-panel displaying the departure schedule and will show a passenger information about the flight they are checked-in for.
“We are actively using the latest technology to ensure the comfort of our passengers at every stage of the journey. In particular, the cutting-edge face recognition technology will allow us to offer passengers personalised services in the business lounges while they are waiting for departure. For example, passengers will be able to get up-to-date information on the status of the flight and any changes simply by taking a tablet with computer vision from the table”, notes Svetlana Kulyukina, Passenger Experience Department Director at S7 Group.
“Today, face recognition and analysis systems not only help companies to control access, but also allow them to improve the customer experience and increase their loyalty. S7 Airlines seeks to provide its passengers with the best service and we, in turn, will be happy to provide the company with the technology which makes it possible,” comments Alexander Khanin, CEO and founder of VisionLabs.
The face recognition technology is based on the ability of trained neural networks to develop and apply the object comparison algorithm on their own. The system converts the seen face into a set of digits and then compares it to its own database. At the same time, due to the high level of data protection, the reverse conversion of a set of digits into a photo is impossible.
In December 2017, the face recognition technology was tested at the S7 Airlines office together with VisionLabs. The video cameras installed in the entrance zone of the building recognized the employees whose photos were uploaded to the system among those passing through the turnstiles. The conditions chosen for testing purposes were deliberately difficult: dim illumination of the room and non-cooperative mode of the system, which means that a person is not required to look specifically at the camera for the recognition to happen, but rather just pass it by. As a result, at the test stage, the system took about 50,000 photos and the recognition accuracy was about 90%.
The image database will be built strictly with the personal consent of each passenger of S7 Airlines. The airline is considering various options for data collection, including its own mobile application and photography while scanning the boarding pass at the entrance to the business lounges. Like all personal information processed by S7 Airlines, photos of passengers will be protected in accordance with the law.
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