Coca-Cola Freestyle Self-serve Dispenser

While searching for something else related to the concept of "mass customization", I stumbled across the press release and related articles for the new Coke Freestyle drink dispenser.

The machine can dispense 100 different drinks using a set of small, high-intensity flavor cartridges and "micro-dosing" technology borrowed from the medical world.  To create a "Peach Diet Coke", the user selects the Diet Coke and Peach flavors and the machine mixes and dispenses the drink.  That same Peach flavor might be used when another user wants a Peach Iced Tea or a Peach Sparkling Water.  There is a touchscreen interface (cool), powered by Windows CE (meh) to guide user through all of the permutations and combinations.

The flavor cartridges use RFID technology.  The dispenser automatically reads the RFID info and knows what flavor the just installed cartridge is and adjusts its offerings accordingly.  Dispensing info is sent to a big Coke SAP database in the sky, so the company can track usage instantly.  As a student in marketing at the moment, I can tell you that the availability of that level of information really excites marketing people.

Coke is testing the machine this summer (2009) with expanded availability expected in 2010.  I would be VERY, VERY interested in a home version.  In the interest of full disclosure, Coca-Cola is a tiny but well-loved part of my small portfolio.