A new cigarette vending machine under development in Japan would use face-recognition technology to spot underage buyers by their lack of wrinkles and sagging skin, the BBC reported May 12.

A Japanese law that goes into effect in Japan allows vending companies to be prosecuted for selling cigarettes to individuals under age 20, so firms are looking for new ways to verify the age of customers. The new Fujitaka vending machines would require buyers to produce ID to make a purchase if a camera determines that they don't look old enough to buy.

"With face recognition, so long as you've got some change and you are an adult, you can buy cigarettes like before," said company spokesperson Hajime Yamamoto. "The problem of minors borrowing identification cards to purchase cigarettes could be avoided as well."

There are more than half a million cigarette vending machines in Japan.