10 Of The Coolest Smart Vending Machines We Wish You Could Find In America

Vending machines are modern marvels that emphasize convenience. You insert money into either a coin or a dollar bill slot, punch in the code of the item you want, and then repeat the process all over again because the product got stuck and you need to buy another one to dislodge it. This is the standard vending machine experience, at least in the United States.

Many countries have evolved past the standard number-punching procedures you associate with vending machines. Granted, these older models are still standard across the globe, but smart vending machines are becoming more and more ubiquitous. These semi-portable stores are far more advanced than the ones you tend to find at gas stations and highway rest stops. We're talking about vending machines that have touch screens, can produce custom products, and even move around by themselves. You won't find any of these vending machines in the United States, at least not yet.

Here are 10 of the coolest smart vending machines we wish we could find stateside. Given the constantly fluctuating face of markets, these could make it across the sea and find homes within the United States, or perhaps someone has already bought one of these smart vending machines and placed it in an obscure corner of North America. If you find one of these automatic vendors, consider yourself lucky.

Coca-Cola is a popular drink all over the globe. However, while the drink was invented in the United States, U.S. customers receive the short end of the Coke-flavored stick. Not only does Coke in America taste differently than it does in some other countries, thanks to its reliance on high-fructose corn syrup, but some Japanese Coke vendors can transform the drink into a novel experience.

In certain convenience stores dotted around Japan, you can (or could) find seemingly normal vending machines that dispense seemingly normal bottles of Coke. You might be tempted to drink them as normal, but if you follow the instructions on the cap by opening it, immediately closing it, flipping it around a few times, and then opening it again, the drink will magically turn into a slushy right before your eyes. Same great Coke taste but with the added benefit of built-in ice. Some versions of this vending machine are nothing more than a standard Coca-Cola refrigerator with a freezing attachment bolted on. If you put the Coke on the freezing platform, it will turn the drink into a slushy.

Technically, Coca-Cola R&D started testing Arctic Coke machines in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2016. These devices offered Coca-Colas, Sprites, and Powerade Mountain Blasts that customers could turn into slushies at the push of a button. The company eventually installed more machines in Orlando, Florida, yet despite customers praising the idea, the Coca-Cola Company abandoned the concept in the U.S. and shipped it to Japan. A shame, since given all the record-breaking summer temperatures we've been having lately, self-chilling Cokes would sell like hotcakes. Or ice bags.

Depending on the popularity of a product or franchise, vending machines specially designed for it might appear overseas. Case in point, machines that dispense Pokémon products are semi-common sights throughout Japan and the United States. However, the differences between them are night and day ... or should we say the differences are "Gold" and "SoulSilver."

You can find Pokémon vending machines in certain stores throughout the U.S., which immediately stand out thanks to their sleek white bodies and giant touchscreen faces, all topped with a giant glowing Pokéball icon. These machines only dispense Pokémon Trading Card Game products. However, it's difficult to find a working Pokémon vending machine or even one that is properly stocked. Blame scalpers. But even if every Pokémon vending machine worked as intended in the United States, they still wouldn't hold a Litwick to the Pokémon vending machines in Japan.

The Japanese Pokémon machines are much bigger and more visually impressive thanks to their Pikachu-yellow shells. They still use touchscreens, but unlike the U.S. versions, these have screensavers that feature Pikachu. Not only is this cute, but it helps people locate the machines — they only need to follow the cries of "Pika! Pikachu!" But most important of all, these vendors carry a bigger offering of Pokémon products, including plushies and key rings. Some even sell items exclusive to their location. Oh, and here's a feature you don't see often: The vending machines support multiple languages, which is perfect for tourists. If you ever visit Japan, add one of these Pokémon product dispensers to your itinerary.

While many vending machines dole out snacks, some sell more satiating offerings such as sandwiches and salads. However, these are often served cold, which usually isn't an issue, but some people prefer their meals hot, even if it comes out a vending machine slot.

If you visit Singapore, you might come across vending machines bearing the Chef-in-Box label. You can find these automats in locations dotted throughout the island, including convention centers and dedicated locations. Each vending machine serves complete, ready-to-eat meals in reasonable portions. This is because Chef-in-Box machines store frozen feasts and heat them up before dispensing, but you can also request the meals unheated if you want to save them for later. Plus, each item comes with a free utensil set, because you don't want to eat a piping hot meal with your bare hands.

While we have similar devices in the United States, such as the RoboBurger vending machine, these aren't as commonplace as Chef-in-Box machines in Singapore. Moreover, North American versions usually stick to one type of food (e.g., burgers), but Chef-in-Box sells a variety of food genres. Depending on the machine, you can purchase Western meals such as penne pasta as well as traditional Eastern dishes like Korean bulgogi and Malaysian rendang. Variety is the spice of life, so why should we be content with vending machines that don't provide a restaurant menu's worth of choices?

Vending machines can offer a wide variety of drinks, but like food-based machines, they have limitations. Any vending machine designed to sell sodas will only provide and store cold drinks that don't spoil without refrigeration, unless you design the machine more like a coffee machine.

Thailand's Tao Bin vending machines are a common sight throughout the city of Bangkok. The machine primarily serves a variety of coffee types, from hot espressos to iced café lattes. However, Tao Bin doesn't stop at roasted beans. Each drink automat is equipped with the ingredients needed to make hot and cold teas, protein shakes, smoothies, and even sodas. You can even play a game on the machine's touchscreen while you wait for your drink. Unfortunately, you do need to give the machine your phone number.

Like the Chef-in-Box machines, much of Tao Bin's magic (and why it could do well in the U.S.) stems from its versatility. Sure, if you visit the right American movie theater or restaurant, you can find the Coca-Cola Freestyle, a soda machine that lets you create your own custom and unholy combinations of flavors, but it's still limited to sodas and sparkling waters. If you want a hot cup of coffee or tea, you would need a different drink dispenser. But not so with Tao Bin. These vending machines would fit snugly in the ongoing U.S. obsession with all-in-one devices.

Pizza vending machines are nothing new in the United States. However, these only heat pizzas that are prepared and stored beforehand. Some foreign pizza vending machines provide a more authentic pizza experience by making the food from scratch. Mostly, anyway.

While pizzerias are commonplace in many countries, Europe has automated pizzerias in the form of the Let's Pizza vending machine. Customers can choose from a variety of fresh toppings and receive a freshly baked pizza in under 3 minutes. Thanks to remote monitoring and real-time data, owners can keep an eye on sales and ensure the fresh toppings stay fresh.

Let's Pizza starts each order by rolling out a serving of pizza dough, then placing the rest of the ingredients on top. Granted, the sauce, toppings, and cheese are refrigerated so they don't spoil, but the result is still far fresher than anything you can get in the U.S. outside of a pizzeria. The machine even has a window that lets you look at your pizza as it bakes in the oven, which is always the second-best part of making a pizza, right after eating it. 

Flying drones are slowly taking over delivery jobs. You can purchase items such as pharmacy prescriptions, and Amazon will deliver them via drone. Other companies also provide drone delivery for different products, including food. However, these ship to houses, which isn't exactly handy when you're out and about in a city.

A few years ago, a unique line of vending machines popped up in Shenzhen, China. These machines are operated by the Chinese food delivery drone service Meituan. Unlike traditional vending machines, you don't use a touchscreen or buttons to pick from a selection of stored foods. Instead, you use a phone app to purchase a meal from a nearby restaurant, and a drone drops it into the machine. Customers then validate their order and retrieve it. Oh, and all the food comes in reusable boxes and bags.

North America doesn't have anything quite like Shenzhen's Meituan drone delivery vending machine, but imagine its potential in the U.S. Say you are visiting a park in Seattle or New York City and need some food, but while the closest restaurant is a little too far away, you can see a drone delivery vending machine just over the hill. You could just place an order in the Meituan drone app (or similar), pick it up at the nearby automatic kiosk, and then enjoy a meal on the grass as a makeshift picnic. Given the growing prevalence of drone deliveries in the United States, this seems like the next logical step.

Usually, if you want to buy something from a vending machine, you have to find one. If the machine doesn't have the food or drink you want, you'll need to search for another one. It's not like vending machines can come to you. Or can they?

Ever since 2020, you could see robotic vending machines patrol the streets of certain foreign metropolises. For instance, in Chinese cities such as Shanghai, pedestrians might come across robotic buggies that serve food, including KFC, ice cream, and fried rice. These roaming vending machines are the product of the Beijing startup Neolix. This company's automated vehicles have also delivered food and disinfected streets. Dubai has something similar, but its four-wheel automats sell more generic items such as chips and drinks, and smaller versions patrol Singapore's malls. And we can't forget that all these vending machines accept cashless payment options.

Much like the Meituan drone delivery vending machine, these autonomous vending machines have the potential to do well in the U.S. Neolix-style automats marry two principles popular in the United States: self-driving and street vendors. You could walk down New York City and purchase some Popeye's chicken without having to stop in a busy restaurant.

Vending machines might be big, but their available items are generally small since they have to pack so many inside. The bigger the item, the exponentially larger the vending machine.

One of the most expensive vending machines can be found in Singapore. The Autobahn Motors Car Vending Machine is less of a device and more of an automated building that sells fifteen stories worth of luxury cars. The process works similarly to most smart vending machines: You make a selection via a touchscreen, pay for the vehicle, and an elevator brings your choice down to you. This seems like an excessively frivolous way to receive an extravagant car, but that's part of the point. That, and the owner built the vending machine, because in order to create his ideal car showroom, he had to build up, not out. Space is at a premium in Singapore, after all.

The closest the United States has to the Autobahn car dispenser is the Carvana vending machine. Like the Autobahn automat, this building sells cars instead of snacks, but it's limited to standard used cars rather than luxury models. Plus, the automated machine doesn't even let you pick your car. You buy it beforehand online and just pick it up at the building. Gone is the vending machine-like experience of making your selection at the location. But Carvana has one advantage over Autobahn: You get to use an oversized coin to start the retrieval process and can keep it afterwards as a souvenir.

Touchscreen vending machines are way more advanced than normal vending machines just by the very nature of their controls. However, thanks to modern advances in technologies such as facial recognition and the internet, you can make a vending machine so much more than just, well, a vending machine.

The Acure vending machine is one of the most innovative vending machines on the market. You can only find these in Japan, but they are extraordinarily advanced thanks to their touchscreens, digital eyes, and constant internet connection. You use the screen to purchase items, as is normal with touchscreen vending machines, but Acure can use the other components to make suggestions based on factors like the customer's demographic or even the current weather. 

As impressive as that is, Japan's smart vending machines have a few more tricks up their sleeves. The country's most advanced models — which may or may not be Acure machines – can even recommend local restaurants and tourist spots. These machines also provide directions you can load onto your phone via a QR code.

Do we even need to explain why we would love to see Acure machines in the U.S.? Even though vending machines are essentially a part of daily life, we've got nothing like this in North America. These devices would be a huge boon to the tourism industry, as they would turn normal vending machines into all-in-one information kiosks. Imagine visiting a city, grabbing a Coke, and learning about a limited-time exhibition in a nearby museum or a popular place to grab lunch.

You can purchase smartphone cases and even buy smartphones from vending machines. But while these machines sell expensive items, they're no more high-tech than standard vending machines. If you want a truly advanced automat that will let you customize your smartphone, one is on the way.

Recently, phone case printing machines have been popping up at technology trade shows. These don't produce phone cases from scratch, like a 3D printer, but instead print custom images onto blank cases. You can transfer your favorite image from your phone, edit it to fit the case to your liking, then have it printed out in a couple of minutes. Of course, cases aren't universal, but these machines can store plenty of units that fit the most popular phone models.

Since these phone case printers are so new, it's hard to tell if they're only available in certain countries, such as China and Australia, or if they're just coming soon. Regardless, what's not to love about a vending machine that provides custom phone cases? Sure, some machines and services let you make your own, such as 3D-printed cases inspired by "Hearthstone" cards, but these are generally expensive. The phone case printing machine is an alternative that lets you create a custom case without taking up too much of your time or budget.