Thirsty in Japan? Ask a machine for a drink

Japan has more vending machines per person than anywhere else in the world. They dispense everything from col beverages and hot coffee to umbrellas and french fries.

The latest vending machine technology can be found on a train station platform in Tokyo. The vending machine “recognizes” the customer and suggests what he or she “should” have as opposed to the customer choosing themselves.

With a slick 47-inch touch screen panel, the drink machine is equipped with a face-recognition sensor that gauges information about the customer age and gender. Other sensors in the machine measure the outside temperature and help the machine come up with the recommendation depending on the time of the day and the season.

While a seemingly great idea, is the machine based entirely upon stereotypes of the culture? Are overweight customers recommended diet drinks? Or perhaps it's cold outside but I'd rather have a bottled water than a steaming cup of coffee. I'd be interested to see how the machine is programmed and who determines which beverage should be recommended for each customer.