The human vending machine

Having looked at innovations in vending machines in several posts here is another that really made me laugh. Kit Kat has launched its human vending machine which is exactly how it sounds. Instead of the Kit Kats being dispensed by the machine itself they are dispensed by a human inside the machine. The human dispenser's arms and face are on display so that customers can have a conversation with them, while dispensing the chocolate. This idea is something that is actually more common in Japan, where there are many more human vending machines.

A press release from Kit Kat on RealWire explains the idea, "Rather than being victim of your favoured chocolate bar getting stuck in the mechanisms of a traditional vending machine; the Kit Kat Human Vending Machine is operated by an actual human ‘vendor.’ The consumer will experience the speed and efficiency of a normal vending machine, with the added bonus of having a person to chat to and physically hand them their chocolate treat.

The innovative vending machine is part of the latest Kit Kat ‘Working Like a Machine’ campaign, which plays off the idea that people are overwhelmed with the monotony of everyday life and so need to take a break. Consumers better just hope the ‘vendor’ isn’t having his very own break should they need a chocolate break of their own."

While this is a fun innovation that works as part of an advertising campaign it actually asks some more important questions. For example is a human or a machine more efficient. While a machine allows no room for human error, if an item is stuck in the machine it cannot do anything about it, whereas a human can. There is the added incentive for the customer of being able to have a conversation with the human dispenser or asking questions about the product.

There would be no maintenance or repair costs to machines for its owners, however dispensers would need to be paid a wage. Despite this the added incentive of the human element may increase the likelihood of people buying from these machines and cover any human costs, while using humans would also create more employment opportunities.

This is still a very new concept to the UK, so it is hard to say whether it will be a success. If it was, there are so many positives that could be achieved using human vending machines that it could be exported to other countries. I feel it would most likely be successful in busy areas, such as high streets, city centers and train stations as demonstrated in the examples. This idea is another example of how technology can often make us less social and this is an innovation that ensures the same result but brings back the art of communication.



http://www.realwire.com/release_detail.asp?ReleaseID=11406

Uniqlo using a similar idea of the human vending machine in New York: http://gizmodo.com/5092433/uniqlo-human-vending-machine-previews-our-future-in-the-robot-apocalypse