Category: kiosks

Kiosk Pro for iOS Uses iBeacons

Kiosk Pro is an app for iOS that turns an iPad into a public kiosk.

The technical documentation shows how you can trigger the showing of specific information when in the vicinity of a particular beacon. For example, if the kiosk is static, people with different beacons might trigger the showing of different information. If the kiosk is moving, for example a tablet being held, it might trigger the showing of different information based on the location of, for example, different exhibits. The kiosk can also be set to advertise iBeacon that can be picked up in iOS and Android apps.

View iBeacons

Beacons for Kiosks

We previously wrote about the requirements for using beacons in vending machines.  There’s a new thought provoking article on Kiosk Marketplace on Are kiosks ready for today’s exciting digital technologies?

The article talks about using beacons to promote consumer interaction, track customer shopping patterns and offer rewards but stops short of providing some scenarios and explaining some of the technical possibilities.

Imagine approaching a kiosk and it automatically knowing who you are and providing one touch (or zero touch) vending of your favourite drink or snack. You are billed automatically and you accrue loyalty points. For the merchandiser, think about extra things you could do (or know) if you could target your top customers and offer them frictionless service. These things are possible using beacons.

Depending on what you need to do, the beacon can be in the kiosk or (or and) with the user. If it’s with the user it can be a physical beacon or an app advertising as a beacon. Some scenarios need more functionality or security than is provided with just Bluetooth advertising. In these cases, it’s possible to connect to the beacon via Bluetooth GATT to store or view data.

If you need more help then view our articles or consider a feasibility study.

Beacons and Vending Machines

We are seeing an increasing interest in using beacons in vending machines. This is probably driven by Coca-Cola’s recent partnership with Signal360.

Beacons not only provide the opportunity for easier purchasing, via apps, from vending machines but also facilitate reward programmes and targeted contextual content based on the user’s location.

Vending machine companies contacting us are asking the usual questions regarding range and size. However, a more specific requirement is the ability to be mains powered. One way to achieve this is to use a smartphone-type USB mains adapter (offering a standard USB socket) and a USB beacon. Alternatively, the vending machine hardware might already have, or be able to be fitted with, a USB slot.