Comparisons to Minority Report aside, a new vending machine in Tokyo’s Shinegawa train station has a camera that profiles its customers. With the help of its 47 inch touch screen it then suggests what drinks different kinds of people might want.
Uhm, so it’s not exactly like the 3D billboards from the Tom Cruise starrer that bother conversing with you, but it’s close. We wouldn’t mind ‘intelligent’ vending machines, to be honest. In fact, it’d be cool if we could get chummy with vending machines that make sure to feed us a constant supply of soda and junk food.
Of course, just because we like it doesn’t mean others will. It wouldn’t be a stretch for your average paranoid consumer to sue companies that make individual profiles of them. It’s really a matter of where you draw the line from enticing the consumer to invading their personal space.
That said, you know what? We’d love to buy a drink from the Shinegawa vending machine.
Via Dvice