Major League Baseball was looking for a way to streamline stadium entry and wayfinding at their stadiums to improve the fan experience. After extensive research of their entry experience, they saw fans and attendants alike looking down, navigating phones and technology as they tried to navigate the security and entry lines experience, leading to bottlenecks and frustrations. They envisioned a future ballpark experience with new technology that would create a warm welcoming first experience for fans. Along with their technology partner NEC, MLB engaged Smart Design to design a facial-recognition monolith that would enable hassle-free entry so fans could stay fully-immersed in the game experience. 

 

With its glowing “home plate” shaped beacon and sleek profile, the monolith uses discrete cameras to identify ticket holders and welcome them into the stadium without breaking a stride. The Go-Ahead Entry is a first-of-its-kind, free-flowing ingress solution for live sports and entertainment venues. This system is unique because it does not require a person to physically stop moving in order for their ticket to be scanned, and can process large groups of ticket holders all at the same time. It also provides a personalized experience, where gate attendants can greet fans by name.