Delta automated baggage system. Delta On Monday, Delta Air Lines announced that it is testing the first bio-metric-based baggage drop system in the US.

This summer, the Atlanta-based airline will experiment with four new automated baggage machines at its Minneapolis/St. Paul hub. One of these machines will have facial recognition capabilities that can match customers' faces with their passport photos, according to Delta.

The experimental self-service system will allow customers to completely bypass human Delta employees, which the airline believes can double the number of passengers processed in an hour.

The four machines represent a $600,000 investment by Delta to increase the speed and safety of its checked baggage process.

"We expect this investment and new process to save customers time," the airline's SVP - Airport Customer Service and Cargo, Gareth Joyce, said in a statement.

"And, since customers can operate the biometric-based bag drop machine independently, we see a future where Delta agents will be freed up to seek out travelers and deliver more proactive and thoughtful customer service."

Over the past year, Delta has also invested in automated security screening lanes and baggage tags with RFID transmitters to streamline its customer experience.