Japan takes vending machines to their logical, 47-inch touchscreen extreme
By Vlad Savov 
posted August 11th 2010 3:22AM
posted August 11th 2010 3:22AM
[Thanks, Kyle]
posted August 11th 2010 3:22AM
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Man this makes me miss Japan... Technology Central!
@DaHarder
They are years ahead of us in terms of science and common sense.
I love that country!
@Simnol
I agre about the science part... but sometimes Japan goes so far over the top I don't think even they know what they're doing.
Awesome country, and I actually like their over-the-top-ness, but, well, let's just say not everything is put into pratical use lol.
@DaHarder
They'll soon have cameras on the machines that can recognize you and remember what sodas you like.
Then they'll start to recognize regular customers and give them a discounted price.
Then... God only knows.
@DaHarder Why does Japan always get the good stuff first?!?!
@DaHarder
We have smaller touch screen vending machines here in the States. I've seen one that dispenses Wonka candy. The screen looked real dirty as if Augustus Gloop had his chocolaty hands all over it.
@Simnol
In tech maybe but there culture is something else.
@DaHarder
I see they didn't demo the pantie selection screen.
@liftedngifted1
Because they manufacture it
@DaHarder
Funny! where the best Android phone you can buy currently is Xperia 10 :(
@Simnol
Indeed, I wonder if they will apply this tech to their used knicker machines?
Wow. To the Japanese, it's almost a sin not to be at the forefront of technology. :O WHY CAN'T MY COUNTRY FOLLOW SUIT?
@Phuk0ff
They would have clans of people with face masks, achieving awesome discounts
@DaHarder They should make the screen in 3D...slurp...nyum2..
@Phuk0ff
They've already got a camera on it; http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1008/10/news080.html (Japanese) says it recognizes ages and sex using face detection in up to 75% accuracy.
@Simnol
STFU!
You are just excited because you see something cool.
And in all that high fructose corn syrup shit is diabetes!!! Yeah, common sense.
@pspitts
As a type 1 diabetic I don't think the rest of people should be denied products they like just because of possible problems. Teach children to consume in moderation and you have shown more sense. That said, I don't like vending machines gaining the ability to track purchases and do face recognition. I hope that's not where they are going.
@Simnol lol i don't know about common sense, but science yes.
@DaHarder : Um, there's a drink called "POCARI SWEAT"?
@Simnol
Um, except that these machines have been in my mall for a while now:
http://www.mediabistro.com/unbeige/film_video/cocacolas_video_vending_machine_wins_gold_lion_at_cannes_120487.asp
@num0 That's pretty good. It'd probably be a little higher if Japanese people...well, you know.
@DaHarder
Also like Jap Chick, Food, Comic.
makes logical sense. whenever I see giant LCD screens, I'm instantly 30% thirstier than I was before. It's human biology, naturally.
@ravissimo
I'd rather see my drink in 3D before purchasing.
*hint* *hint*
@ravissimo
Do you think there will be a version for soiled knickers any time soon?
If these were installed any where outside of Japan the local kids would have them destroyed within a week.
Cool idea though...
@Bender the great
They already have vending machines on wide open sidewalks already. Like if you're walking down the street, there are vending machines just sitting there barely guarded. Oh, and the last time I went there which was like five years ago, there was Fanta Grape in just about every machine. It's nearly impossible to find Grape Soda in vending machines today in the US! But back to the subject, of course there's probably a camera of sorts watching what's going on to catch anybody who does things and Japan (along with many other countries) actually discipline criminals so it isn't much of an issue there. Although this applies to Singapore and not Japan, Michael Fay, nuff said.
@Bender the great The embedded camera might make them think twice.
@MysticLeviathan
I think he was talking about the 47" touch screen being destroyed...not the vending machine itself... I mean we have vending machines in the US~ are they ever guarded?
@Bender the great
That is why we cannot have nice things
@Ethan
Anything that makes people think is good.
@Bender the great Or stole them, a 47 Inch touchscreen woul dbe nice to have at home.
@Bender the great Or stole them, a 47 Inch touchscreen would be nice to have at home.
@Bender the great
In Japan, entire nation is so crowded that there's no time in a day without people's eyes are on those vending machines. Seriously, population here is exact 10 times dense from US according to Wolfram Alpha.
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=population+density+japan+usa
@num0
That's not really saying much, the US is very sparsely populated. Even Ireland with a population of 4 million people has nearly twice the density of the US and it's 300+ million
@num0
But in the cities, the respective population densities wouldn't differ that much.
@num0 It's even more different in practice, because the bulk of Japan is sparsely populated mountainous regions, and the vast majority of the people live in dense urban cities, whereas the U.S. has plenty of land to spread out in suburbs and exurbs.
@Bender the great
Well, shopping centers are viable anywhere. Street culture makes a lot of things 'not viable', in all sorts of places. For instance, begging, in Japan, on the street, for change. Now that's not really viable.
Where's my credit card?
*punches giant screen*
@Needsahaircut
Falcon pawnches*
@Needsahaircut
This is why we won't be getting any giant LCDs vending machines in the states soon ...
Why not?
@Teerim Do not worry. I have seen many knocking the vending machines to get their money back - it could be fun with multi-touch :)
...hmmm, and I thought Clear aka Sprint was the only company using WiMax.
@Syon There are a couple of companies offering it here in Australia. I really don't know that much about it but hope we don't end up with the same kind of split with GSM/CDMA that exists in the USA...
@JackValentine
http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/17/wateen-telecom-launches-massive-wimax-network-in-pakistan/
It's official. Wimax is better than LTE ;)
@webosandroid LOL ...well, at least itz cool factor has suddenly risen.
So, say you're watching Pirates of the Carribean on your vending machine. Mmm, did somebody say Calimari Juice? And the best one would be...? Ah.
iVender