Many industries are looking to implement new advances in technology and safety to welcome back consumers.One of the hardest impacted sectors of the economy was live concert venues. Shows and festivals could not feasibly be held in person in a safe manner with the COVID-19 virus spreading unchecked. With the rise of vaccines and strategies like social distancing and masks to combat the virus, live events and concerts are seemingly feasible again.This reemergence is coupled with the growing e-commerce sector which saw a huge increase in demand during lockdown.
Consumers stuck at home needed non-physical and online means to purchase goods. Most mobile devices can now hold someone's ID, credit card, and other important information.This cross section of e-commerce and live events is where global technology leader Amazon is looking to partner with one of the most famous venues in the nation by implementing some futuristic devices.
The Amazon One Palm Device
The Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado is one of the most unique and iconic performance spaces in the world. The venue features seating carved into the natural landscape and has hosted famous rockstars performing for thousands of concertgoers every year.As any Red Rocks attendee would know, some of the biggest hassles of a concert or festival are massive entry lines, fumbling with mobile tickets, or misplacing a physical ticket. This hang-up at the gates can pose a serious logistical and security risk and be a headache for people looking to see their first show since before COVID.Enter tech giant Amazon and their new palm-swipe service called Amazon One. The premise may seem a bit outlandish but in practice can be quite efficient.
Customers begin by scanning their palm on their mobile devices. The One uses high-tech imaging to create a biometric scan that is unique to the individual from the curvature, lines, and other features of their palm. The scan is then linked to their Amazon account. When the consumer is ready to pay or check-in for something they can simply swipe their palm on an Amazon One terminal and they are all set.The images of each person's palm are stored in the cloud rather than in the Amazon One app to mitigate security concerns.Amazon has already implemented this technology at check-out lines at several of their stores in the US. The process is proven to save time and hassle by not requiring people to dig through their wallets to swipe a credit card.
The time it takes to successfully read the user's palm is approximately 300 milliseconds compared to nearly 5 seconds for a card swipe.The next step to setting up Amazon One at Red Rocks was to partner with AEG, the entertainment company that runs ticketing for the venue. This way concertgoers can set up their palm scan when they buy their tickets on the AEG site, not requiring an Amazon account.Attendees will be able to use a separate express line at the check-in gates to swipe their palms. The service can also be potentially useful to quell long lines at bars and merchandise vendors within the venue.
Beyond Red Rocks, AEG works with hundreds of other venues across the US, meaning this service could potentially be in wide use very soon.The Amazon One may seem like science fiction, but its capabilities may forever change how we attend events. No more printing out tickets at home, hoping your phone has enough charge to show an e-ticket or worrying if the line will be too long.
