Blog - Smile, you’re on [a vending machine] camera!

Smile, you’re on [a vending machine] camera!

They say it costs nothing to smile – actually, now it pays.

Breaking tradition from the usual suspect for unusual vending (Japan – who else), reports of an innovative vending concept have this time sprung up from down under, as Australia reveal their joy-judging vending machine.

The ‘Share Happy’ vending machine detects how happy (or smiley) users are. Using images captured with a front-mounted camera which are then processed by sophisticated facial recognition software, the vending machine calculates the size of smiles and rewards accordingly – with ice cream!

Additionally, the Share Happy vending machine is equipped with 3G capability, allowing photos taken by the machine to be uploaded directly to Facebook (with the permission of the user, of course).

The vending machine has been created for Unilever – one of the largest ice cream companies in the world. It is the first of its kind – if you don’t count the age detecting vending machines in Japan – and is due to be piloted later this year, in a number of countries.

Other parties have already expressed an interest in the machine, and industry experts have spoken of it as a sign of change for the way consumers will buy in the future. This original idea presents an interesting new concept for retailers and marketers. Perhaps the technology can be adapted in the future for other uses. For instance, could this be the dawn of the vending machine image consultant?

Posted in: Vending Machine News, Vending Overseas
Tags: australia, ice cream vending, smile, Vending Machine News