Sometimes you have to leave your home during that All Hallows Eve occasion.

You don't want to leave the little beggars unsatisfied, because that leads to problems.

But the "leave a bowl of candy out on the honor system" plan doesn't work too well either, since the first ones to figure it out loot the lot.

So this system creates a digital image of the child knocking on your door and compares it to a database of images already acquired that evening.

If this is not the rascal's first stop at your place in that costume, then no treat is produced.

But if no match is found, then a piece of candy is dispensed, repeating for each successive visitor until such time as reserves are consumed.

Yeah, right. I only get a few each year - a far cry from the sugar filled heydays of yesteryear.
-- normzone, Oct 30 2013

So the second kid to come by dressed as Darth Vader gets bupkis?
-- ytk, Oct 30 2013


Height differences will activate a different camera response - this can be exploited by clever kids, of course.

Good point though, dependent on software cleverness levels, different angles of image capture will yield more candy.
-- normzone, Oct 31 2013


Rewarding clever larceny in the young [+]
-- Voice, Oct 31 2013


[+] Assuming gang of three trick-or-treaters each with different hat, mask, and cape, the law of perms and combs of costume configuration teaches us that they could loot the entire stockpile.
-- the porpoise, Oct 31 2013


All you need is an X-ray or similar scanning device that can map the bone structure of each trick-or-treater. They won't be changing that.
-- scad mientist, Oct 31 2013


Alternately, leave out a large empty plastic bowl and a sign that says, "Please take one." Anyone who sees it assumes it was looted by someoe else, the the typipcal problems of not satifying the beggars are reduced.
-- scad mientist, Oct 31 2013


I wonder how voice recognition would work.
-- normzone, Oct 31 2013


Yeah, voice recognition would probably have a better cost/benefit ratio than an x-ray.
-- scad mientist, Oct 31 2013


Could also be used to progressively increase the voltage on the doorknocker each time the same face reappears.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 31 2013


Possibly some sort of fingerprint system?
-- gisho, Oct 31 2013


Just so as you all know... I was the kid that would actually just take one piece. Having recently studied evolutionary psychology, I now wonder if little MikeDs will have a significant foot-hold in the far-flung future populace...
-- MikeD, Nov 01 2013


You're cool [MikeD]...I too took one piece...
-- normzone, Nov 02 2013


I also read the evolutionary psychology of Husserl's methodology outlined on Phemenology of the Spirit by Hegel, about domination of psychologies in the form of mental states.
-- rcarty, Nov 03 2013


Retinal scan or thumbprint ID reader would seem to be the most foolproof currency for dispense. I suggest that you set your vending machine to dispense generously in ounces for mixed candies rather than individual units.

In fact, if price were no object to you, then you would have your retinal scanner or thumbprint ID reader dispense a discrete proprietary token which the Halloweener could then insert in the glass-front vending machine filled with a multitude of full-sized name-brand candies which is installed on the front porch for the evening. This could spawn a whole new event industry!
-- jurist, Nov 03 2013


My first thought was collecting biometric data much as websites collect your shopping patterns...

Now a new reason for parents to worry about their children on Halloween.

But with this new tech savvy generation they'll probably have random algorithm generators for fake eyeballs and fingerprints.
-- normzone, Nov 04 2013


Real eyeballs and fingers chosen at random are far easier to obtain.
-- Alterother, Nov 04 2013


[Alterother] If the kid really wants the candies enough to carry around an assortment of real eyeballs and severed thumbs all night in his pocketses, then maybe we ought to allow him to have as many servings as he wants.
-- jurist, Nov 04 2013


[jurist], you assume the body-part-pocketer will be a boy?
-- pocmloc, Nov 04 2013



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