Despite British summertime living up to expectations, with clear blue skies and warm evenings as frequent as a preverbal blue moon, festival season is upon us and in an effort to capitalise on the season’s events, Vodafone is making its presence felt with a rather special truck equipped with biometric palm readers.
The main purpose of this 44-tonne monster is that it offers festival-goers (on Vodafone), access to a secure charging location where they can drop their phones off and pick up later. The truck in question actually made the festival rounds last year too, but Vodafone has spent some time refitting and upgrading its contents over the winter to get it ready for some of the biggest music events around the UK in 2012.
One of the key refits is the security behind this. 2011’s version of the truck gave users QR-code laden wristbands, but in the heat of the festival moment, not everyone was able to keep ahold of their all important barcode key. As such this year Vodafone has opted for something a little more high tech.
Not only will the truck be able to charge some 2000 phones simultaneously, but users will have to make use of its new Palm Vein Readers. Essentially like a giant fingerprint, the mapping of veins in a persons hand are unique, so when the reader scans your palm with infrared light, the layout of veins in your palm is logged with your phone, making a biometric passkey.
Vodafone says this will help prevent, thefts or losses of precious phones. What’s more, the truck also now features a DJ booth, with sets from each of the festivals acts taking place from the truck (with the exception of Download, Isle of Wight and Reading festivals).
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