Coca-Cola Meets Technology: Touch Screen Vending Machines

With modern scientific advancements more and more resembling the gadgets and gizmos seen in recent sci-fi films, it comes as no surprise that the multibillion dollar Coca Cola Bottling Co. is hopping on the technology bandwagon. According to recent information from Fast Company (www.fastcompany.com) and a subsequent article by Popular Science (www.popsci.com), it seems the latest Coke vending machines will now employ the use of sophisticated, interactive (yet user-friendly) touch screen technology. And if you thought it was difficult enough to choose from ten available beverages on normal vending machines, prepare yourself for the latest in drink variety. These new Freestyle machines will be able to mix "up to 100 different drinks on the fly..." (Fast Company). But how does it all work?

Mobile and Embedded Systems Experts Company BSquare Corporation (www.bsquare.com), often known for their innovation in the smart device market, was brought on to create and manufacture the necessary technology for these futuristic, Minority Report-style beverage dispensing machines. Whereas prior vending machines employ "large, five-gallon bags of premixed syrup, the Freestyle PurePour system uses ultra-concentrated 46-ounce cartridges to mix drinks and allow for a greater array of flavors, all coming from one spout. There are also RFID tags to keep track of all the different flavors held inside the cabinet and their current status." (Covert, Adrian: "Coca-Cola Freestyle is the Most Advanced Soda Fountain Ever"; posted 7/21/09. www.popsci.com). These RFID tags and internal data collection devices will also be able to electronically send loads of demographics information to and from the Atlanta, GA-based Coca-Cola headquarters, including favorable locations, what flavors are the most popular among a range of ages/sexes, etc.

The increased drink variety includes over 100 flavors of some well-known soft drinks and energy drinks, as well as some largely unheard of and unreleased beverages, including Raspberry Coke and Peach Fanta. Popular Science also noted that this one-of-a-kind "precise machinery" was "originally developed for dialysis and cancer treatments."

In an explanatory video tour of this specialized, next-generation drink machine, BSquare Corporation Solution Sales Vice President Steve Dearden seemed excited about the new gagedtry, terming it "the fountain of the future." "The rich graphical user interfaces make the dispenser compelling for all types of users, including consumers, restaurant operators, and field service technicians," says Dearden. "Unlike a typical fountain dispenser that offers less than ten beverages with a significant backroom dependency, Coca-Cola Freestyle uses highly-concentrated flavor cartridges with micro-dosing technology." (Bsquare Tour of Coca-Cola Freestyle Beverage Dispenser: Video retrieved from www.youtube.com).

Interestingly enough, the video shows Dearden using the machine, with the soft drink pouring into a Coca-Cola glass. One is left to wonder what type of container the drinks will be dispensed into, considering the use of aluminum cans has been done away with in this case. Word has it the machines will also sell a variety of "juices" and "sparkling beverages" that have never before been sold or manufactured in the United States. Perhaps Dearden is referring to the over seventy drinks tourists can taste and sample but not purchase at the World of Coca-Cola Taste It! exhibition room in Atlanta, GA.

The new machines have already begun to surface in the states, with recent locations including California, Georgia, and Utah. Coca-Cola executives plan to have sixty machines in the U.S. by the end of the summer. Perhaps the next leap in vending machine technologies will be akin to the Enterprise voice-activated replicators seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation, from which users could select an infinite amount of food/beverages and watch it materialize before their very eyes.