Want a soda? You'll need to get fingerprinted

You know you're living in the 21st century when you hear of . But a vending machine that uses fingerprint and video camera technology? Who would have thought buying a Dr. Pepper would be this complicated?

A group of computer science graduate students at the University of California San Diego have created a novel device: a biometric vending machine that automatically deducts money from a student account, ensuring security with the use of a fingerprint reader. The contraption, which we first learned about on Slashdot, has a mini webcam to identify you, as well as a fingerprint scanner to recognize your account and charge you for your drink. At UCSD, the facial recognition is used to confirm that the user is staff, faculty or a grad student and, apparently, to make sure none of those naughty undergrads get access. Maybe that's a little too restrictive; why not open the machine to all students?

In any case, Stefan Savage, a computer science and engineering professor and the mastermind behind the SodaVision project, purchased a regular vending machine, and the students added a webcam, laser scanner and fingerprint reader. And there you have it, the latest in vending machine tech. Although the machine only has an 80 percent accuracy rate as of now, Savage has said he hopes it will reach 95 percent eventually.

So I guess fingerprint vending machines are a thing of the future. But I like to think I'll still be able to get a bag of Lays by simply inserting a buck, instead of feeling like I'm some kind of criminal who needs to be fingerprinted.