Problem

Traditional vending machines offer limited beverage options and lack personalization. Customers often have to settle for pre-made drinks that may not meet their preferences. Additionally, vending machines require manual inventory management and maintenance, leading to inefficiencies and downtime.

Our team was tasked with creating an innovative coffee and tea vending machine that leverages IoT and embedded systems to provide a seamless and personalized beverage experience. The system needed to incorporate machine learning (ML) to analyze user preferences and adapt beverage selections accordingly, offering a wide range of customizable drinks.

Learn more about our project here.

Solution

We created an IoT-enabled coffee and tea vending machine that utilizes sensors, communication protocols, ML algorithms, embedded systems, and payment integration to provide a seamless and personalized beverage experience. Our solution included the following features:

IoT Connectivity: We utilized IoT sensors and communication protocols to enable remote monitoring, maintenance, and real-time data collection.
User Interaction: We implemented a user-friendly interface, possibly with a touchscreen, where customers can choose from a variety of beverage options, including coffee and tea.
Customization: We employed ML algorithms to analyze customer preferences and suggest or automatically prepare personalized beverage recipes, adjusting factors like sugar, milk, and brewing time.
Inventory Management: We used embedded systems to monitor ingredient levels, automatically reorder supplies when needed, and alert maintenance staff in case of technical issues.
Payment Integration: We enabled cashless payments through mobile apps or cards, ensuring secure and convenient transactions.
Data Analytics: We collected and analyzed user data to refine beverage offerings, optimize machine performance, and identify trends for business decisions.

Impact

Increased customer satisfaction by providing a personalized beverage experience with a wide range of customizable drinks.
Reduced downtime and maintenance costs through remote monitoring, automatic inventory management, and technical issue alerts.
"Our IoT-enabled coffee and tea vending machine with machine learning has revolutionized the vending industry. It has increased our revenue by X% and improved customer loyalty. We are excited to expand this technology to other products."

Team

Team Member #1 - IoT Engineer
- Led the development of IoT connectivity features, including sensors, communication protocols, and real-time data collection.
- Collaborated with the team to integrate ML algorithms for personalized beverage recommendations.
Team Member #2 - Software Engineer
- Oversaw the creation and implementation of the user interface, payment integration, and data analytics features.
- Collaborated with the team to ensure seamless integration of all system components for optimal performance.

IoT-Enabled Coffee Vending Machine with ML