Similarly, new generations of cellphones will contain near-field communications (NFC) chips that will allow consumers to wave or "bump" their phone in front of a vending machine to make a purchase, rather than using cash, credit, or debit cards. The Google Wallet mobile app already lets consumers tap their smartphones on an NFC terminal at checkout and pay with a designated credit or debit card.
With such technologies in place, you can also expect to see the spread of micro-markets that cater to today's fast-paced, 24/7 lifestyles. First deployed in 2010, these outlets may one day compete with traditional convenience stores. Located in places like gas stations, these micro-markets require no interaction at all with a clerk. You simply choose your products and go to a kiosk, where a scanner recognizes the RFID tag or barcode on items you buy. Once again, you'll see payment options such as prepaid loyalty cards, credit cards, and mobile apps based on NFC technology. Such outlets are a natural progression for future electric vehicle charging stations.
Among other advancements, engineers are already working on technologies that will enable vending machines to identity the voice, face, or gestures of the customer standing in front of it. With those innovations, you won't have to take your smartphone out of your pocket or even contact a touchscreen. Once you're recognized, the machine can deliver customized messages to you, drawing from cloud-based data on your past purchases and preferences. The machine may even suggest other products you might need, as well as the locations of vending outlets that offer those items. Within five years, these technologies could be quite common.
New frontiers for vending
The combination of electronics, precision robotics, telemetry, and greater computing power is also taking vending to locations and applications never seen before. Because of high precision mechatronics, which can incorporate vision technology, sophisticated actuators, sensors, and closed-loop motion control, vending machines can now mimic human movements.
In 2008, for example, consumer electronics giant Best Buy launched its Express kiosks in major airports. The assortment of products available in those automated outlets include MP3 players, cellphone and computer accessories, digital cameras, Flash drives, other portable storage devices, and more. This application calls for a robust, intelligent robotics system that can select and handle a variety of complex shapes reliably. Express kiosks can now be found in more than 200 locations, including resorts, colleges, and malls.
To rival dough-twirling pizza chefs, Netherlands-based A1 Concepts is distributing a highly complex vending kiosk called Let's Pizza. Launched in Europe in 2009 and now being introduced in the US, the machine contains enough fresh ingredients to make 200 pizzas. It automatically mixes and shapes dough, dispenses sauce and a variety of toppings, and bakes the pie in an infrared oven -- all in about three minutes. To ensure a hygienic environment, the kiosk contains a refrigerator unit to hold perishable ingredients and automatically discards unused dough. Featuring a network of sensors, the kiosk transmits operational data over the Internet to the vendor operator. If this kind of system delivers the level of quality that consumers demand, you may well see other foods, such as hamburgers, delivered in automated environments.
For retailers, all these examples of vending technology offer an alternative to brick-and-mortar locations, allowing companies to extend their brands beyond traditional stores. And the underlying technology is increasingly being applied to items not traditionally found in vending machines -- from consumer electronics to shoes. Minneapolis-based InstyMeds now dispenses pharmaceuticals 24/7 from machines in about 200 US locations, primarily hospitals and urgent-care clinics. Using a touchscreen, a user enters a prescription code and pays by credit or debit card. Thinking about future medical applications, it's not far-fetched to envision a machine that would administer a flu shot and take your basic vital signs.
End-to-end technical solutions
Inventors, vending operators, OEMs, and retailers that want to embrace this new era of automated merchandising face the daunting challenge of blending the full gamut of engineering technologies into autonomous machines that must operate independently for days at a time. This is where experienced design engineering teams, like those at Jabil, can help. They can update a customer's existing machine, design a specific system within a complex vending machine, or do a complete turnkey design featuring the very latest technologies. With all these advancements in technology, it's clearly a very exciting time for the vending industry.
Jeffrey Lumetta is the vice-president of technology for Jabil Circuit Inc., based in St. Petersburg, Fla. A 25-year Jabil veteran, Lumetta oversees the global research and design group, helping OEMs develop new technology across a wide range of industries. He holds a BSEE degree from Michigan Technological University.
For more information:
National Automatic Merchandising Association, a broad-based organization serving all phases of the vending industry: www.vending.org/.
I'm interested to see how the NFC (Near Field Communication) application will work and how broadly it will be accepted by the marketplace. I'm curious to see how the advantages of this type of technology will play out in the vending machine and kiosk world and how sought-after it will be.
The ones that do have the credit option is at least a step into the 1980s. I want to see it become a universal addition. Though, I do not shop vending machines often.
Cabe, Looking at some of those pics, it seems that some of them do have credit card slots. I would think that would almost be a requirement for drugs and Best Buy products. I can guess that the vendors just don't want the added expense for $1.40 soda...or they don't want to raise the price even more to cover it.
As an ancient history buff, I really enjoyed finding out that vending machines are as old as the Egyptians. If someone comes up with one that dispenses very fresh, perfectly cooked filet mignon, or excellent Chinese food, I'll be there. But the food quality and freshness of what's out there now is just too poor.
On the topic of food safety and sanitation, this new generation of automated kiosks pushes beyond delivering dated, prepackaged foods into preparation and processing. The end products are made fresh to order, and the automated equipment, storage, and handling are certified to NSF sanitation and food safety standards. One step further, smart controllers and machine-to-cloud telematics are keeping track of the freshness of ingredients and the parameters of the process. For example, machines can automatically halt sales of products that require fresh milk when it expires or if the storage temperature drops below safety thresholds. They can notify technicians of the need for service as well as cleaning and restocking requirements.
I think we are all excited about the progress in payment systems that is unfolding right now. Technologies like Square have allowed independent service providers to take credit cards from any smartphone. And, the next generation of vending equipment has little need for cash or coins; instead focused on credit cards, contactless payments, NFC, and loyalty programs.
I too would vend a fresh salad versus peering beneath the sneeze guard to pick it up from the aging bar.
From experience, it seems vending machines have come a long way in the last few years. The engineering technology to provide these machines is truly fascinating. I can remember times when I would deposit money push the designated buttons, wait for the item to drop--wait for the item to drop-wait for the item to drop then bang, bang, shake, tilt. You get the picture. The technology has definitely improved over the past few years and includes a much greater variety of products. I think this trend will continue although I definitely agree I'm a little nervous about food items that need to be processed. I would also venture a guess that the FED will get in the picture, if they have not already, when the level of sophistication continues to improve. All it will take is one death resulting from a "bad vend".
While this seems to be an obvious progression - I personally would have a hard time trusting food items such as the pizza maker. Even with prepackaged foods I have seen stale out-of-date product come out of a vending machine. Restaurants clean their food processing machines daily - how would that happen with a vending machine? And I have real concerns with the pharmaceutical model as well. How do you prevent fraudulent use or someone even just breaking into the machine to obtain the drugs inside? I would also like to know my recourse if I buy a defective product from the Best Buy kiosk.
When these things work well - they are great. But when they fail to work as designed...it is the consumer that loses with a lot of time and aggravation to get their money back or just deciding its not worth it and taking the hit...
I don't care about any of the crazy ideas, 120 flavors, etc. How about all vending machines accept credit cards, at least! I rarely carry cash anymore. I would prefer to use NFC or credit everywhere.
Vending machines never take the money I put in anyway. I couldn't even do laundry once for that reason. I valeted recently... It was a nightmare to pay for it with a credit card.
It's 2013 already. The smartphone, app, era. Time to advance.
I used vending machines multiple times a day when I was overseas; water was the number one buy. I would try the pizza in a pinch but it would be hard to get me to eat that as more than a novelty.
When do the salad machines come on line? Fresh (as is still on the vine tomatoes) picked, sliced, and tossed with the fresh greens while your coin is still rattling in the box... Now that's what I'm talking about.
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