Ministry of SMEs and Startups Unveils 'Smart Unmanned Store' for Untact Christmas

Smart Unmanned Sales Booth Presented at Samcheong-dong '2020 K-MAS Live Market' Event
Recognizing Consumer Interest Products... Providing Information and Applying Contactless Air Touch Technology

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] “You can select a product immediately just by placing your hand near it without touching the screen.”

An employee in charge of the smart unmanned sales booth showcased at the ‘2020 K-MAS Live Market’ event held by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in the Samcheong-dong area of Seoul explained this during a live demonstration on the 22nd.

The 2020 K-MAS Live Market event runs until the 27th. Consumers visiting the Samcheong-ro online space can experience the unmanned sales booths and purchase exhibited products at up to 50% discounted prices. Additionally, the booths provide small business owners, who are facing difficulties such as decreased sales due to COVID-19, with opportunities to promote and sell their products.

The Samcheong-ro unmanned sales booths consist of smart displays incorporating contactless touch screen (Air Touch) technology, unmanned vending machines, and O2O (Online to Offline) sales booths that link to online malls where products can be purchased by scanning QR codes.

When consumers bring their hands close to the displayed products, sensors recognize the hand movements and provide product information through monitor screens, integrating a non-contact touchscreen technology to create a hygienic purchasing environment. Video by Heeyoon Kim

The ‘smart display’ that was directly used recognizes hand movements through sensors when consumers bring their hands close to the exhibited products, providing product information via monitor screens and implementing contactless touch screen technology to ensure a hygienic purchasing environment.

The display mainly features products that require explanations of key ingredients and effects, such as medical devices, cosmetics, disinfectants, and masks. Particularly, after payment on-site, customers can either take the product directly or enter their address to request delivery service, enhancing convenience.

The ‘unmanned vending machine’ is equipped with automatic product recognition, payment functions, and refrigerated storage, making it suitable for unmanned sales of food items. Unlike traditional vending machines that sell similar items of a fixed size (such as canned drinks), this machine can simultaneously sell various products and sizes tailored to consumer preferences, including bottled or plastic beverages, chicken, and fruits.

The product purchase process is as follows: ‘Screen touch (purchase method guide)’ → ‘Insert credit card or other payment method’ → ‘Open the vending machine door where the product is stored’ → ‘Take the desired product and close the door’ → ‘Automatic payment’.

The ‘O2O sales booth’ is equipped with products and QR codes, allowing consumers to check the products directly and purchase desired items by scanning the QR codes with their phones through online shopping malls such as ‘Gachi Sapsida’.

Lee Junhee, head of the Online Economy Promotion Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, “We will use the 2020 K-MAS Live Market as an opportunity to accelerate the digitalization of small business owners.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.