This is interesting… an ice cream vending machine that’s smile-activated. The system recognizes a user’s facial expression and, if they’re smiling, rewards them with free ice cream. It’s a great example of creatively using advanced technology for a brand-relevant experience.
Created for Unilever (who own the brands Ben & Jerry’s, Good Humor, Breyers and Klondike), the project was developed by SapientNitro UK. You can read more on their case study and press release pages.
PSFK points out the relationship to Dr. Whippy, an ice cream machine, created by Demitrios Kargotis and shown at the 2009 ARS Electronica festival. That machine analyzed the user’s voice stress and served ice cream as a kind of therapy.
(Link via EXP.)
Behind-the-scenes technology
Share Happy in action
You are such a better writer than I am. I try to write these things so fast, you seem to really delve into them. I’m amazed at how similar our tastes are…
Thanks! I dig your posts, too. Let’s start a mutual admiration society! Maybe it’s our shared background and experience that gives us similar perspectives? Either that or we’re oldies who don’t know any better 😉