5 tech things: Amazon expands Amazon One palm payment system

In this special edition of its 5 Things series, Food Management highlights five recent technology-related developments affecting the foodservice world.

Here’s your list for today:

Amazon has stepped up its rollout of the Amazon One palm-recognition payment system to more than 65 Whole Foods Market stores across California, the first broad rollout of Amazon One at Whole Foods stores after launches in Seattle, Austin, New York City and Los Angeles. Amazon One adds to the company’s Just Walk Out cashier-less technology pioneered at Amazon Go convenience stores and, more recently, deployed at Amazon Fresh supermarkets. Amazon One payment will also debut as an option at the new Just Walk Out retail outlets slated to open at the Kyle Field football stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University this fall, with kiosks to enable individuals to sign up for an Amazon One account located just outside the stores.

Read more: More Whole Foods stores in California to get Amazon One

Companies are moving swiftly to roll their robots out in a quest for early market share and limited investor dollars in a food robotics market estimated to grow from $1.9 billion in 2020 to $4 billion by 2026, and colleges and universities have come to play an unexpectedly important role as early adopters. Colleges are the perfect test bed for robots because students tend to live well within a 30-minute radius, campuses are well structured, and administrations are able to approve rollouts that would often take many layers of bureaucratic wrangling at a municipal level.

Related:5 things: Aramark’s U.S. Food & Support Service unit sees 45% organic revenue jump in Q3

Read more: Why do college kids get all the cool robots?

Henderson Dining Hall, the primary dining location at University of Findlay (UF) in Ohio, is adding an updated build-your-own burger station, international cuisine and a 24/7 Simply To Go station, showing how cutting edge automation is spreading to even smaller colleges and universities. This fall, UF students will be able to use the "Everyday" app on their phones and other devices to get their favorites delivered to them from one of 15 "kiwibot" sidewalk-faring autonomous vehicles similar to those that have been used for several years at nearby Bowling Green State University.

Read more: University of Findlay gets dining upgrades, including robots and Mr. Beast Burger

Related:5 things: Public university privatizes its campus housing, extending a trend

History was made recently in Lawrence, Ind. after a McDonald’s Big Mac and French fries were delivered by drone to tech company Schneider Geospatial while the United States Postal Service made its first traditional delivery to a smart mailbox designed by package security firm Dronedek. Deliveries to Dronedek’s app-controlled mailboxes can be kept hot or cold and users will be alerted when a parcel is delivered. The mailboxes can recharge drones and serve as an emergency alert that can be activated in cases of crime, fire and health crises.

Read more: How the delivery of a McDonald's Big Mac made history in Indiana

Researchers at University of Naples Federico II in Italy have recently developed a new interactive bartending robotic system called BRILLO that not only makes drinks but is designed to engage with customers in a personalized way, providing unique recommendations based on their preferences and processing both their verbal and non-verbal cues. In addition, the robot creates user profiles that allow it to adapt its topics of conversation for regular customers, for instance remembering their interests and whether they prefer to engage in serious or funny conversations.

Read more: A bartending robot that can engage in personalized interactions with humans

Bonus: Texas A&M Dining offers expanded options and high-tech innovation

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]