Watch out, Starbucks (and Starbucks VIA). Douwe Egberts, the market leader in tea and coffee, has unveiled its conceptual BeMoved vending machine, which promises to elevate human-coffee interaction “to a higher level.” Literally. As in, you have to jump for your java.
Okay, to be fair, that feature, part of an interactive game called Shoot-Em-Up, which exploits the machine’s motion-sensitive camera, is just one of many.
Using BeMoved’s touch screen, you can drag and drop different ingredients into your coffee (cream, sugar, hazelnut syrup, etc.), and check share prices, weather forecasts, and real-time news while it pours.
You can also upload a photo of yourself, and save your preferences in a personal profile.
That way, BeMoved can dispense your signature blend with a single touch. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous (or judgmental), you can even try a coworker’s.
Alas, test markets haven’t been announced yet.
But with self-service transactions projected to top $1.5 trillion by 2012, and Coca-Cola pioneering a “Freestyle” machine for soft drinks, Douwe’s Mr. Coffee-on-steroids can’t be too far from release. For now, though, we can sate our cravings with a video.
Dan Macsai
