The futuristic Coke machine, presented at IDF
At IDF yesterday, a Coca Cola vending machine was rolled out centre stage. This was not any Coke vending machine; it was an Intel interactive vending machine. It is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and is equipped with Wi-Fi, quite a smart vending machine.
Intel’s executive VP Dadi Perlmutter decided to purchase a drink; after all he had nearly finished his 60 minute keynote and must be thirsty. By using the 46 inch touch screen on the vending machine Dadi flicked through the different drinks and then tapped the screen to select his chosen drink, Diet Coke in this demo. What happened next keeps the tech vending machine a cut above any other – not only can you pay with good old cash (if you happen to have any) but you can also use a QR code or NFC. Just hold your phone on the payment panel and your transaction is complete. Perfect.
There is one more exciting feature of this smart vending machine. The 42 inch screen can then display a picture of the customer as they stand there with their new purchase. The vending machine prompts them to take their picture (with their new purchase in their hand) and share it with friends via social media or email.
Perlmutter told us how this does not only benefit the user. They get a fun, sleek and interactive shopping experience, but Coca-Cola also get a new way to gather profile data on their customers. The camera acts as a way for vendors to gather demographics such as gender, age, and location alongside drinking preferences and places that people share their shopping experience.
This sneak preview was the first time many people had seen such a vending machine; however Coca-Cola has already launched these in South America. Surely this must make its way to the UK in 2013.
What do you think? Would you tweet from a Coca-Cola machine?
