Monday, 27 September 2010
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Interesting News Feed: High-Tech Japanese Vending Machines that Read Minds
News from AFP.
(via AFP)Vending machines are a huge part of Japanese society. Featuring wide ranges of items such as bananas, umbrellas, and even flowers, Japan has about 5 million vending machines all over the country. It is no surprise these Japanese vending machines have developed into innovative new technology with amazing software capabilities outside the functions of an ordinary vending machine.
Of the few amazing abilities Japanese vending machines can:
1. Read minds:
The latest Japanese vending machine can scan your face, identifying your age and sex. Using complicated math and logic, the machine will then educationally guess your product preference, highlighting drinks that might suit your taste according to market information (brand loyalty associated with age, etc.). So far the machine has been 75% correct in successfully identifying a customer's taste.
The machines then keep a record of your purchase information (although personal info is deleted) in order to improve further successful predictions for future customers.
2. Help during a major natural disaster:
Some vending machines can actually detect an earthquake (which are frequent in Japan), releasing free drinks to help relieve victims of whatever the major disaster. According to AFP, there have been reports of a vending machine rolled out 680 beverages to fleeing survivors of a major earthquake in Hokkaido.
3. Advocate nature research:
Some island vending machines have installed mics that record rare bird chirps in the area, supporting Japan's nature survey.
4. Accept all sorts of digital payment:
Japanese folks can swipe cards or use their cellphones (digital scan) if they do not have spare cash on them.
How cool does this all sound? This makes me want to fly out to Japan just to experience the awesomeness of Japanese vending machines! For an in-depth article on Japanese vending machines click here.
Questions to mull over:
What do you think about Japan's vending machine technology? Do you think bananas (and other fruit) in vending machines will promote healthy eating? Have you ever used one of these machines? Why do you think the US does not invest in exciting vending machines?
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- From: Sandy
- About Me: Amateur food critc. Especially partial to desserts and medium-rare steak.
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Comments (29)
Actually, those mind-reading ones totally fail if you're a foreigner. It can only read Japanese faces.
@PervyPenguin@xanga - Somehow not surprised at all that you'd know that. ;D
Japan has some pretty cool stuff.
Very interesting..
Interesting
Could Japan be any more awesome?
Those are really neat! I definitely think putting fruit in vending machines instead of chips or candy would be a way to promote healthy eating. Why doesn't anyone do this in the US? The problem with vending machines is that they're so darn convenient for people on the go and they offer nothing but junk food. It would be nice (and not to mention a little help in solving the obesity problem) to see a convenient vending machine with apples and oranges instead of Doritos and Butterfingers. It would help people make better choices for sure.
Interesting, yet really creepy at the same time.
1. Read minds:
I've never seen this before, but if it's brand new, it's likely that only one or two locations have maybe the only four or so that exist in the entire country- aka it's so impossibly rare as to might as well not exist, so if you go to Japan don't expect to see this anywhere.
2. Help during a major natural disaster:
I suppose it's possible, but there's nothing outwardly obvious in the slightest to suggest that they do this.
3. Advocate nature research:
That makes sense if it's a regional thing- such as in Hokkaido or in Okinawa. But you won't find this in Tokyo.
4. Accept all sorts of digital payment:
This is very true. They accept regular currency, your train pass cards, and any currency you might have electronically prepaid on your cellphone- OR if you use your phone, whatever the cost of your drink is is just added to your phone bill at the end of the month.
Also, that fruit thing is pretty clearly in a grocery store. You won't ever find fruit machines out on the street. ;)
dang. please.... let this come to nyc xD
Yeah, all of that sounds cool!!
We have #4 here in California! :)
If we had those here I'd probably just walk up and shake the crap out of the machine so it would think it's an earthquake and give me some free stuff! haha.
When I lived in Japan I used vending machines all the time. It was great to have one right down the street for when you wanted a drink at 2 am and nothing was open. Not to mention that they have cans of hot beverages as well in the winter (coffee, tea, etc.). Gotta love it.
Really, you just found this out now? I knew about this years ago like when I was in high school. did you know you can get porn from a vending machine too. even smokes or alcohol.
NICE! when will America get these awesome vending machines
that sounds totally awesome, love to go to japan and try that suckah out
i personally think japan is a lot more advanced than we are, plus our economy still isn't doing that great so the government probably thinks why invest in something like that when we cant even get our economy back up. and i'm sure fruits and such would be fine if the machine is inspected often and change the items that are being sold daily.
COOL.
couldnt the whole mind reading thing just be a scam from companies to sell more products. like which ever company pays the most gets to be recommended the most?
Everything in Japan is better. =[
its a vending machine why get all crazy
Even more reasons for me to go to Japan. XD. LOVE it.
WOAH. That's so cool :D
Dammit that is so awesome! I want to go and try out all the awesome vending machines....
It's like those quarter machines for kids but more awesome (I still pretty much love those...) ><
I've seen them on like ..shows.. it looks so cool and I'm really jealous. xD I bet they have such awesome drinks like... melon stuff and maybe even soymilk ! ?
Only thing we get is soda and juice.. wah, boring.
That's pretty cool.
The Japanese are so technologically advanced.....