Devices that store and dispense products when consumes enter the appropriate sum of money have been around for a long time. They include mini vending machines and those that sell hotel toiletries, among other things.
However, as the technology behind them develops, mini vending machines and such objects have become increasingly sophisticated.
This has been demonstrated by an offering that is currently being tweaked in Japan. Rather than selling hotel toiletries, it gives out soft drinks.
The piece of technology uses facial recognition techniques to ‘recommend’ beverages based on a number of factors. For example, it assess age and gender, as these are known to affect people’s choice of drink.
So far, the machines are being trialled in a railway station and they are said to have had a positive impact on sales. Indeed, the number of beverages bought by consumers apparently tripled while compared with regular vending machines.
The technology has been developed by JR East Water Business Co, which is a subsidiary of JR East Co, Reuters reports.
The dispensaries invoke the use of touch-screen panels with sensors that enable it to determine the characteristics of the people using it. Based on its assessments, the machine then suggests what products may be suitable.
As well as grounding its recommendations on the consumer’s features, it also changes its tips depending on the temperature and the time of day.
Commenting on the product, a spokeswoman from JR East Water Business Co said: “If the customer is a man, the machine is likely to recommend a canned coffee drink, since men tend to prefer these. If the customer is in their 50s, though, that recommendation is likely to be green tea.”
Meanwhile, a woman in her 20s will be recommended a tea drink or sweeter product, since research has suggested that they prefer these, she added.
The representative went on to state: “We thought it would make it a lot more fun for the customers to have this kind of interaction with our machines, that it would improve the whole buying experience.”