As we continue our 50th anniversary series, we’re looking back on some of the defining projects and moments that helped shape Olea Kiosks into the company we are today. One of the most complex and exciting areas we’ve worked in is biometric kiosk design—a field that blends high security with high expectations.
Our journey into biometrics began nearly a decade ago with what felt like a leap into the unknown. We didn’t know it at the time, but that early project would teach us some important lessons that continue to shape how we approach biometric kiosk design today.
The First Project: Iris Scanning for Healthcare
Our first biometric kiosk design project came from Novant Health, and it wasn’t your typical fingerprint scanner setup. They asked for iris scanning—a technology rarely seen outside of high-security government settings. The use case was patient check-in, and they wanted to provide a quick, secure way to verify identity.
We adapted one of our existing models, the Boston, and mounted the iris scanner externally. It worked from a technical perspective, but there was a major challenge: there was no backend database in place. You can’t verify someone’s identity if there’s no record to verify it against.
This project taught us an important lesson—biometrics isn’t just about hardware. If the system isn’t supported by the right software, logic, and backend infrastructure, the technology is useless.
Designing with the Human in Mind
Every biometric technology—from fingerprint to facial recognition to palm vein—requires careful design thinking. Fingerprint scanners need to be angled correctly for comfort and usability. Facial recognition cameras need to accommodate tall users, short users, and those in wheelchairs, all while capturing an undistorted image.
There are also guidelines to consider. Some devices have recommended mounting heights from the FBI or other standards bodies. Others have practical considerations, like needing dry hands for accurate fingerprint scans or lighting conditions for facial recognition.
The more advanced the tech, the more critical these details become. A $60 webcam might work for casual recognition, but not if you’re trying to match a face to a secure database. For that, you need high-end cameras that use depth mapping and liveness detection to prevent spoofing.
It’s All About the Backend
One of the biggest misconceptions about biometrics is that it’s plug-and-play. It’s not. Behind every successful biometric solution is a well-structured database and a thoughtful plan for how data is captured, stored, and verified.
Organizations get excited about the idea of using facial or fingerprint recognition, only to realize later they don’t have a system in place to actually do anything with the data. Well-known solutions like Apple Face ID and Touch ID, Clear (travel, events, healthcare), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP—traveler verification service), and Tap In2 (hospitality age verification for alcohol purchase) have succeeded in this space because they built their own secure, proprietary databases tied to applications that serve a clear purpose like boarding a plane or purchasing alcohol.
This kind of ecosystem is the result of smart planning and collaboration between hardware, software, and data systems.
Real-World Applications Across Industries
Over the years, we’ve worked on biometric kiosk deployments across healthcare, airports, stadiums, and even quick-service restaurants. Some are complex, multi-factor authentication systems. Others are simple facial recognition setups for loyalty programs.
Projects like Wow Bao used facial recognition to speed up guest interactions as part of their loyalty platform. At the other end of the biometric kiosk design spectrum, government agencies use a combination of facial, fingerprint, and document scanning to authenticate identities at the highest levels of security.
Even during the pandemic, we saw increased interest in touchless access. Our temperature screening kiosks, for instance, included facial recognition features to allow companies to build their own databases and recognize employees on entry.
The Biometric Kiosk Design Challenge: Make It Intuitive
Biometric kiosks often incorporate multiple peripherals—cameras, scanners, printers, ID readers—and the layout of those devices should guide the user through each step. A first-time user shouldn’t feel overwhelmed. That’s why for some customers, we’ve developed interface lighting that helps users move through the process with confidence. This can also be done with on-screen prompts, but the tangible prompts like lighting help the user know where the device is located.
There’s also the practical side of things: devices will need maintenance. Fingerprint scanners get dirty. Cameras get touched. Some components, like paper or jammed IDs, need to be accessible to on-site staff without compromising the kiosk’s internal security. That’s a design puzzle we solve project by project.
From Vision to Reality: Why Experience Matters
Over the years, one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is this: when it comes to biometric kiosk design, experience matters. Not just in building the box, but in asking the right questions upfront.
What problem are we solving?
What’s the user journey?
What backend systems are in place—or missing?
What level of security is actually required?
We’ve learned to walk through these scenarios in detail before a design ever hits the screen. Whether it’s a venue that wants to roll out facial recognition for fan entry, or a healthcare provider looking to cut down on identity fraud, our goal is the same: build something secure, seamless, and built for real-world use.
Biometric kiosk design projects continue to challenge and excite us. They force us to think across disciplines—from engineering and design to security and user psychology. But they’re also some of the most rewarding, because when done right, they represent the future of secure, streamlined service. And we’re just getting started.
