Keyo Announces Biometric Tech Compatible with Amazon’s Palm Scanning System

“We are beyond excited to be introducing this line of devices that will extend Amazon’s innovative work, from not only replacing your credit card, to replacing your keys, work badge, flight tickets, hotel reservations, drivers license and more – all with the wave of a hand.” – Jaxon Klein, Co-founder & CEO, Keyo

Keyo Inc. is celebrating the news that Amazon has been exploring the use of palm scanning technology in retail stores. With offices in Silicon Valley, Chicago, and Mexico, the startup has been developing palm recognition devices since 2015, and says its technology is compatible with Amazon’s ‘Hand Wave’ tech.

New details about Amazon’s efforts emerged this week, with the company reportedly exploring a system that would link retail store customers’ palm biometrics to their registered payment cards. This would allow them to make purchases without the need for a payment card, cash, or any other kind of hardware – a simple wave of the hand could be used to approve a transaction.

A report that Amazon was exploring such a payments system for its Whole Foods stores first surfaced last September, but the latest report suggests that the payment scheme could go far beyond its own retail operations. Amazon is said to be working with heavy hitters including Mastercard, Visa, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Synchrony on this new system.

For Keyo, that interest points to opportunities on the horizon. In a statement announcing its technology’s compatibility with Amazon’s system, the company noted that while Amazon has filed one patent pertaining to the technology in recent months, Keyo has filed seven. “Amazon is a relative newcomer to hand-based biometrics and the size and scale of the company could drastically increase interest and focus on this identity technology,” Keyo said.

The company adds that its palm scanning devices could be used not only for retail store transactions, but also for access control, airport screening, and even to replace driver’s licenses, among other applications.

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January 22, 2020 – by Alex Perala