Palm Scans Speed Up Lunch Lines

Long gone are the days of punch cards at lunch. The Pinellas County middle and high schools now have a new scanning system to enhance lunch line service. The new palm-scanning program was piloted last spring at Boca Ciega High School. The palm scan system replaces a finger scan system used since 2005.

“The new system is more accurate. With a finger there could be an injury or the finger could be wet. The new system is touch-less,” Cafeteria Manager Ms. M.J. Houk said.

Students do not need to remember to bring anything with them to lunch like a card and they do not have to remember a number. Plus, the new scanning system uniquely identifies each student.

“(The program in the lunch line) brings up just your student. It protects the account . . . banks use it now so you don’t have to have a card. It’s a very nice program. (The information) is not shared. It’s just here in the school for identification in the cafeteria,” Houk said.

The scanner photographs and stores each person’s unique palm pattern.

“We are a medical magnet school. This technology is in the hospitals, it corresponds with a program we have,” Houk said.

“The Fujitsu PalmSecure biometric sensor uses a near-infrared light scan to capture and store a student’s palm vein pattern, generating a unique biometric template. On subsequent scans it is matched against the stored palm vein patterns of pre-registered students to identify the student,” according to Fujitsu’s website.

The lunch line moves faster with the new technology. The lunch line will go even faster when the new cafeteria opens next month.

“Lunch is 30 minutes. We are done serving in 15 minutes. We are serving about 100 more kids than last year. We are still managing to get everyone through the line in 15 minutes. It will be even better in the new building with four serving lines (there are two lines currently),” said Principal Michael Vigue.

The new palm scan system turned out to be a perfect match for the district.

“We examined several biometric systems during our review process and it was evident during our pilot phase that the Fujitsu PalmSecure solution, paired with (software), best met our qualifying criteria,” according to Pinellas Food Service Department Director, Art Dunham on the Fujitsu website.

And Boca Ciega High School turned out to be a successful test location for the program. The Fujitsu's representative is familiar with the school. Bill Geary went to BCHS, Houk said.

The new palm scan system is optional. Paying with cash and looking up a student’s name can still be done.

Parents can refill and check card balances online. For more information go to https://www.schoolpaymentsolutions.com