Vending machines go high-tech

While last month’s CES show in Las Vegas provided a sneak peek at many of the upcoming smartphones and computer hardware, some unexpected developments were making some noise. One such development is Samsung’s uVending technology – an automatic vending machine operated via a 46-inch LCD touch screen. Developed in conjunction with Sapient, the vending machines use animation and interactive menus on the massive screen to display vending choices.

Instead of pushing a physical button, users touch buttons on screen to choose which product they want to purchase, and can cycle through various options.

Each vending machine is equipped with Wi-Fi for automatic refill orders and content updates, plus motion sensors and cameras to capture vandalism attempts. The machines will appear in the United States this year, and will be rolled out in Britain by 2010.