Things are moving fast now. Just a year ago, we were introduced to the possibilities of a transparent touchscreen. Now it seems the concept is in full motion and being implemented in a row of different devices. I must admit that I had my doubts about the usefulness of transparent touchscreens. Science fiction movies always make them look cool, but in our world, what would be their primary use? Well, as it turns out, vending machines are perfectly suitable for them.
This quite impressive vending machine was developed by Sanden in collaboration with Okaya Electronics and Intel. It’s a vending machine equipped with a 65-inch, full HD transparent touchscreen display. The transparent touchscreen enables a unique experience that will render old vending machines quite redundant. With this next gen vending machine, we will see more information presented to the consumer as well as a more streamlined user interface. With a wireless connection, this kind of vending machine could also continuously display updated ads for the products its holding, etc. – whatever is necessary to draw the consumer in to buy something.
This transparent touchscreen vending machine also uses Audience Impression Metrics, or AIM, and can do anonymous facial recognition. This means the vending machine can tell whether you are male, female, young or old. That way it can present products best suited for you. There’s no doubt this approach is both intriguing as well as futuristic.
All of sudden we are faced with a whole bunch of public gadgets and devices that will recognize you in order to present specific content that you will enjoy. This could lead to a whole lot of new innovations in the near future. When this vending machine is idle, it will show a clock or promotional video in order to attract the attention of the customers around it. This very much sounds like a product taken straight from the movie Minority Report. I am sure that within the near future, we’ll see a whole bunch of these kinds of gadgets in public areas. Transparent touchscreens certainly have a use in our looming future. No doubt about it.
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