Blog - Intelligent Vending Ltd

Safety First!

Students at MIT have designed a particularly innovative machine for the vending of bicycle helmets, to wok in conjunction with Boston’s “Hubway” bicycle sharing scheme.

Research into the Hubway scheme showed that only around 30% of the users wore helmets, which obviously is not very safety conscious! Despite local retailers selling heavily discounted helmets, users did not seem to embrace them. Enter 12 undergraduates of MIT Mechanical Engineering 2.009 class…Students at the Institute are renowned for innovative design and successfully designed the prototype for the “HelmetHub.” This vending machine is half the size of a regular snack or drinks machine and features a touch screen in line with the design of the Hubway along with solar panels for power. The machine dispenses adjustable helmets for $8 which users can either keep and re-use or return for a partial refund, as helmets are then taken to be inspected and cleaned.

Currently this is a prototype machine, but the students are in talks to build a Beta version which could be put to the test by the summer.

Have you ever used a bike-share scheme, such as Hubway or the so called “Boris Bikes” in London? Of all the bike-shares, only Melbourne, Australia has a helmet vending machine but it is far bulkier than the tight space saving option offered by Hubway. If you use a bike share programme, would you be tempted by the shared helmet as well? Do you ride your own bike with a helmet? Let us know in the comments below!

Posted in: Customised Vending, Public Vending, Vending Machine News, Vending Overseas
Tags: bicycle, helmets, safety

Free Wi-Fi

Everyone loves free things, no matter what they are, and most people if they can get something for free, they will.

Now a Japanese (of course) Vending Machines company has come into there own by offering free Wi-Fi for using the machine. Users then must stay within a 50 meter radius of this machine to have access to wi-fi internet on any wi-fi enabled device, for 30 minutes before you get logged out and have to log back in again (and you don’t have to buy another drink!)

As we all know, Japan is crazy for vending machines, and the more technologically advanced the better. Free Wi-fi perks up everyone’s day, especially as data plans get squeezed and more expensive, this coupled with the interesting and unusual drinks options is sure to make these machines a hit across Japan. Manufacturer Asahi Beverages hope to roll out 1,000 machines during 2012, and up to 10,000 over the next five years., which not only shows the extent of the popularity of vending machines across Japan but also the faith Asahi has in these machines that having a Wi-fi enabled machines will not only draw customers to the machine in the first place but the 30 minutes (extendable) window could mean that the customer will buy their drink, have a poke around on the Internet, realise their drink is finished and buy another (and hopefully repeat this several times!)

As we are seeing more and more, Japan is taking interactive vending machines to another level, the introduction of QR codes on Coca-Cola machines, and face recognition technology to suggest drinks to the customer, and I for one can’t wait to see what impact this Wi-Fi machine has on the Japanese market and how this will develop and transform the market!

Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Product News, Vending Machine News, Vending Overseas
Tags: japan, vending macines, wi fi

Ohhhh…Japan

Yet again, Japan have made technological advances in the vending world the rest of us can but dream of.

Intel, Snaken and Okaya Electronics have taken the next step in touch screen vending machines. This latest incarnation boasts a 65-inch HD screen (!) and understated graphics so as to drawn people in with out being garish and obnoxious.

GizModo called it the “vending machine of tomorrow” thanks to the 65″ screen, which like its predecessors features a transparent screen so consumers can still see the product inside, whilst being entertained by a touch screen – similar to that on a smart phone – but with subtle animations of birds  that do not distract from he transparency of the machines touch controlled window.

To make this even more exciting and intuitive, the machine has an inbuilt camera to identify customers based on age and gender to therefore generate demographic appropriate adverts. What makes this machine extra special, is, should there be an emergency, it will display evacuation routes.

Although currently vending snacks and drinks, this machine could open up to a potential market including cosmetics and wine.

What do you think to this? Can you see super intuitive vending machines working over here England? Would you like to see adverts based on your gender or age? As ever, leave a comment below and let us know how you feel!!

Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Machine News, Vending Overseas
Tags: cool, japan, touchscreen, vending machines

Ahhh, Alcohol.

A bar in New York City’s Meatpacking district has launched an interesting new way of getting a drink during busy periods. Instead of waiting for your bartender to make, shake and serve you a cocktail, whiskey or wine, you can now simply take your glass to a vending machine (or Enomatic machine as this bar calls them) for a top up.

These machines keep the drink at the optimum temperature, just as they would behind the bar and all you have to do is push a button and place your glass!

Big leather couches and a (potentially) fab atmosphere. This is all in Samantha’s (SATC) neighbourhood, but how would the machine cater to specific requests – especially when it comes to whiskey customers can be very picky if there is too much/not enough ice in their glass.

What do you think? Would you rather go into a bar and not have to put up with bartenders? Not have to worry about how much tip you should give or how much they will take upon a “take you’re own love”? Or do you quite like the human interaction and being able to have your drink made exactly to your requirments?

Posted in: Customised Vending, Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Machine News, Vending Overseas
Tags: alcohol, customised, USA, vending, whiskey

Pay with potatoes!

Lays Crisps (Walkers in the UK) have introduced a new promotional machine to show how fresh and pure their crisps really are. Instead of paying with spare change, consumers are asked to put a whole potato into the vending machine and then watch as it is washed, peeled, sliced and fried to be turned into the ready salted crisps they know and love, quite the contrast to last weeks post about free crisps when the recession is mentioned!

This is a digital video, but gives a great insight into how the machine will work and could potentially brighten up snack time, especially as it shows the whole process of getting a bag of crisps, right from real potato, to being sealed into their bag for freshness.

Lays Vending Machine

Here at Intelligent Vending, we think this is a fab machine, exciting to watch and also serves as a reminder as to where food actually comes from, the act of putting in a real, possibly field-muddy potato brings the bag of crisps back to earth, especially for children who are perhaps so used to eating from a packet that they wouldn’t even know that crisps are made from potatoes grown in muddy fields.

Posted in: Customised Vending, Public Vending, Vending Machine News, Vending Overseas
Tags: crisps, Innovation, Lays, vending machines, Walkers

Contactless at the Olympics

As part of Coca-Cola’s high profile sponsorship of the 2012 Olympic games in London, they are currently in talks to bring contactless technology to their vending machines at the event. Coke are currently liaising with Visa to integrate the technology within their machines in time for the Olympics with the hope that this will turn the games into the biggest contactless event ever! Meanwhile, mobile phone giant Samsung are also in talks with Coca-Cola and Visa to use Near Field Communication-ready handsets at the event, allowing consumers to simply hold their mobile phone to the contactless machine to pay for their bottle of Coke. James Eadie, head of Olympics at Coca-Cola GB, has been quoted as saying “The technology is already available today and we are in conversation with Visa over the Olympic Park and how it would work.”

This is an exciting time for the future of Vending machines and here at Intelligent Vending Ltd we will be keeping a close eye on how Coca-Cola proceed with contactless payments at the Olympic Games.

How do you feel about contactless payments? Would you like to be able to use your mobile phone to pay for a drink out of a vending machine when in a rush to get from the long jump to the 100 meter final?!

Posted in: Intelligent Vending Ltd, Vending Machine News
Tags: coke, contactless, olympics

Game while you guzzle?

Coca-Cola in Japan is modifying many of its vending machines to make them far more interactive with users. This is the next stage in Coca-Cola’s ‘Happiness’ campaign and will promote  brand loyalty for Coke customers.  The addition of QR codes onto machines mean that customers can interactive with the machine and create it a virtual identity, allowing customers to think of a machine they frequently visit as “my machine.”

Checking in at the machine will earn users badges and points, which can be spent customising “their” machine with things like skins, shoes and backgrounds.  The more a customer interacts with a machine, the more personalised its response will be, sending information such as brand updates and news and weather. Also available will be a badge to show that a user has visited machines through out the country – not an easy feat at all, but one no doubt hardcore game and Coke fans will be excited to try and achieve!

Registration for the so-called “Happiness Quest” opens next week, with an added promotional incentive – a one million yen prize which is sure to make it very popular.

This is sure to be a success for Coca-Cola if not just by their sheer presence in the vending world in Japan – by the end of March 2012, they are hoping to have 820,000 machines with QR codes on- but because everyone loves a game, and rather than tweeting “I’m using a vending machine” customers can now scan the QR code and play a quick game as they wait for the bottle of coke to vend. Exciting stuff!

Posted in: Product News, Vending Machine News, Vending Overseas
Tags: coca-cola, japan, qr codes, vending

Happy Hour

The Arnold Ad agency in Boston have come up with a delightful way to brighten up their staffs day!

Introducing Arnie, a beer vending machine with a smart, touchscreen interface loaded with an “Alepedia” to give users more information to his customers. Staff have been provided with a fob loaded with credits to allow several free beers a month, which can also be topped up with their own credit should a party break out in the lunch room! The fobs recognise who is using the machine, allowing for a person experiance where Arnie talks them thorugh and explains how to get a cold one!

Of course, no innovation nowadays is free from social media, so Arnie is equiped with what else- his own twitter feed (@arniebeer) where he can tweet his thoughts – generally either begging for company when he hasn’t had many visitors or warning that a party is about to happen once he has sold a few beers that hour! Arnie also retweets mentions from staff to show they are happy. It is also possible for users to tweet directly from the machine to express their delight in popping the cap of nice cool beer!

Arnie was the product of an internal $100,000 initiative called “the Make project” where staff came up with their own ideas of how to improve productivity and happiness within the office. Launched earlier in the month, from the looks of Arnies twitter feed it appears staff seem happy, quite how productive they will be with a 24hour free bar in the office I don’t know!

Arnie currently dispensers 6 different varieties of beer, including his own “Arnold Pilsner” and their are plans to extend the range to include seasonal beer. picture from psfk.com

If you would be interested in a similar machine for your office or function do not hesitate to get in touch with us here at Intelligent Vending Ltd and we will see what we can do for you!

- Saskia

Posted in: Customised Vending, Vending Machine News
Tags: alcohol, beer, drinks vending, vending

There’s no such thing as a free meal…

An artist from Plymouth College of Art, Ellie Harrison, has created an installation names “vending machine.” This, however is not your typical vender, OH NO! Here, you are not given the option of what flavour crisps you would like, nor which spiral you would like them to fall from. You are not even given the chance to pay. Harrison’s installation is instead linked to a computer, and a big screen. The computer feeds the vending machine information directly from the BBC’s RSS feed, and when the word “recession,” or anything recession-related is fed through, BOOM, free crisps! This is where the big screen comes in, as 1ft high letters on the screen announce “FREE FOOD” with the theory that students and visitors to the college will then go running to the installation room.

After a successful run in Plymouth, the installation and it’s sister project- a child’s mechanical car which runs on the same principal- have moved around the country, it’s latest incarnation was at Intelligent Vending Ltd’s local gallery- QUAD Derby, hence it coming to our attention. Vending Machine and the exhibition it is a part of, the Ha Ha Road, is said to be a chance to look at the funny side of life that often gets forgotten with the hard slog of real life. Although appearing as an act of generosity, and could brighten up a customers day, the machine also hints towards a dystopian view of society when eventually we may not have the option of food on demand and is instead controlled by political or environmental events.

We here at Intelligent Vending Ltd, however are choosing to view the installation as a nice way to brighten someones day during the doom and gloom of current economic times. We applaud Harrison’s work on this project although we don’t think that free vending due to what is on the news is something our customers are going to take on anytime in the near future!

- Saskia

Posted in: Customised Vending, Intelligent Vending Ltd, Public Vending, Vending Machine News
Tags: art, crisps, derby, vending

French bread fresh from the vend!

A baker in France has come up with the ingenious idea that he can stock a vending machine with par-baked bread, which once selected is baked in an in-machine oven and delivered to the customer. Featuring a touch pad front plate, the machine promises to at least attempt to stave off France’s hunger pangs for bread in the middle of the night when traditional bakeries are close in a very simple way.

Due to french law, which says you cannot put preservatives into the nations favourite food, french baker Jean-Louis Hecht realised he could stock part baked bread – which stays fresh for up to 3 days – ready to be cooked when customers ordered it from the machine, allowing for fresh bread to be available 24 hours a day.

Hecht is planning on rolling these machines out across France, not to rival traditional bakeries but to compliment them, as he says “bakeries will have to adapt or die” in the current economic climate.

If you’re in France, or planning on visiting soon, keep an eye out for these new machines, which will no doubt be complimented by and installed alongside the wine vending machine we blogged about here!

Posted in: Customised Vending, Public Vending, Vending Machine News, Vending Overseas
Tags: bread, france, vending, wine