The Self-Service Innovation Summit introduced the winners of its fifth annual Automation & Self-Service Awards on Dec. 10, recognizing probably the most revolutionary options in kiosks, merchandising, synthetic intelligence and extra.
One objective of the Self-Service Innovation Summit is to acknowledge merchandise and expertise innovation contributing to the dynamic business. Therefore, a key occasion on the summit is the Automation & Self-Service Awards, previously generally known as the Self-Service Innovation Awards.
Now in its fifth 12 months, the Self-Service Innovation Summit explored cutting-edge applied sciences that empower companies to satisfy shopper expectations for services and products anytime and anyplace. The Self-Service Innovation Summit considers a variety of self-service options, together with kiosks, merchandising and cell purposes, relevant throughout varied settings resembling airports, arenas, banks, healthcare amenities and retail environments. Attendees held discussions on improvements like AI-assisted self-service tech, self-checkout programs and automatic merchandising, amongst others.
The winners of this 12 months’s Automation and Self-Service Awards had been honored throughout an awards presentation on Dec. 10, when the summit acknowledged probably the most revolutionary options for kiosks, merchandising and the usage of synthetic intelligence.
The nominations had been submitted between August and October. A panel of judges reviewed the nominations and chosen winners in seven classes: Greatest Use of AI, Merchandising, Kiosk, Robotics, Accountable Automation and Influencer of the Yr.
Listed below are the winners:
Greatest use of AI
SoundHound AI’s Worker Help
Picture: Networld Media Group/Willie Lawless |
Worker Help is a category-defining voice AI expertise that enables restaurant staff from each the back and front of the home to ask a custom-trained voice assistant vital questions — and get prompt responses — fully hands-free.
Simply accessible by way of a headset or pill, this groundbreaking product makes use of SoundHound’s voice AI with generative AI capabilities to be taught and perceive instruction manuals, ingredient and allergen info, and extra. It then relays this information on to staff by way of their headsets in addition to on a visible display as a part of a fluid two-way dialog, with the system capable of reply any questions (and follow-up questions). It is like having an professional within the ear of each worker.
Ishai Reinfeld, director of gross sales operations and buyer success at SoundHound AI, accepted the award on behalf of SoundHound AI.
“I am deeply honored to just accept this award for Greatest Use of AI on the Self Service Innovation Summit. Thanks to the organizers and judges for this unimaginable recognition at sounding AI,” Reinfeld stated.
“Our mission is to voice allow the world by means of conversational intelligence and absolutely help the product being acknowledged tonight is a testomony to that imaginative and prescient, by enabling customers to work together with huge quantities of information by means of voice. Worker help transforms the way in which groups work, making info extra accessible and empowering quicker and smarter selections.
“This award belongs to the devoted workforce at sound on AI who’ve been working tirelessly to deliver revolutionary options like worker help to life. Their ardour and dedication encourage me every single day. Wanting forward, we stay dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is attainable with AI and voice expertise. Thanks once more for this honor, and I sit up for seeing how we will all proceed to form the way forward for self service innovation collectively.”
Influencer of the Yr
David Phelps
 |
Picture: LinkedIn |
David Phelps, head of the show division at Samsung Electronics America, is a pioneer in self-service expertise. With over 17 years of expertise, Phelps has devoted his profession to creating show options that improve the shopper expertise. As a part of Samsung Show’s management workforce, he’s answerable for rising the corporate’s market share in industries like retail. Phelps has partnered with main retailers to combine self-service expertise into their shops, enhancing effectivity for workers and creating extra constructive experiences for patrons.
Phelps has been instrumental in Samsung’s use of AI in its show merchandise. For instance, he helped develop “Sam the Sommelier,” a digital human that assists clients in deciding on wine at Chevron’s ExtraMile shops. Phelps additionally fostered a partnership between Samsung, SoundHound, and White Fort to introduce interactive menu boards in drive-thru lanes. The answer makes use of voice AI to offer clients with a seamless ordering expertise and improves operational effectivity for White Fort.
Phelps despatched a video acceptance for his award:
“Thanks automation and self service awards and the Self Service Innovation Summit for this recognition, I’m honored to be named influencer of the 12 months. This award represents exhausting work, creativity and collaboration of many gifted people pushing the boundaries of what is attainable in buyer expertise. The way forward for self service and automation holds unimaginable potential, and right here at Samsung, we’re excited to proceed shaping the way in which folks work together with expertise. Thanks once more for this recognition. I sit up for what’s forward.”
Greatest kiosk resolution
Frequent-Use Self-Service Bag Drop at TPA
 |
Picture: Networld Media Group/Willie Lawless |
Tampa Worldwide Airport is the primary U.S. airport to put in a completely useful Frequent Use Self-Service Bag Drop on the distant automobile rental middle and economic system parking facility. The kiosk provides passengers the comfort of dropping off their baggage instantly upon returning their automobile and boarding the tram to the principle terminal. This reduces queuing at terminal check-in areas, with vacationers continuing on to the safety checkpoint.
James Houghton and David Goldon from Materna and TIA had been current to just accept the award.
“To start with, simply wish to say thanks to Materna for serving to us making our concepts really come to fruition, and to our govt workforce at Tampa Worldwide for permitting us to create and believing in our imaginative and prescient for the airport of the longer term,” Goldon stated.
“As soon as that is full, together with our bags dealing with system, we’re going to have the ability to drop off luggage anywhere throughout the campus and formally get them to these airplanes on time. This can be a important step in Tampa’s curb to gate imaginative and prescient following permitting our clients to traverse the campus with little to no interplay, in the event that they select.”
Greatest merchandising resolution
BluTap Self-Pour Know-how
 |
Picture: Networld Media Group/Willie Lawless |
PayRange is revolutionizing the unattended pour bar market with groundbreaking self-pour expertise, BluTap. BluTap unlocks absolutely autonomous pour bar experiences with age verification and fee capabilities, all accessible by way of the person’s smartphone. Designed with each companies and clients in thoughts, customers can seamlessly confirm their age one time utilizing PayRange’s age verification providers, making certain that each sale is a accountable and compliant transaction. BluTap’s built-in over-consumption controls guarantee venues and operators can responsibly promote unattended grownup drinks. At the moment, the BluTap is supplied on main beverage gear producers’ faucet gear and in market in a number one world model of inns.
“On behalf of PayRange, I wish to first simply thank the panel of judges. There may be superb innovation and lots of nice concepts right here tonight, we really feel very honored and humbled for the for the award,” Stephanie Cordisco, govt vp of PayRange, stated in her acceptance feedback.
“I additionally wish to thank the Self Service Innovation Summit for spotlighting groundbreaking expertise that’s really reworking the self service retail business at Pay Vary.”
“Our mission is to allow seamless commerce between folks and issues. Over a decade in the past, we launched a cell fee app that connects shoppers to laundry machines, merchandising machines, amusement billiard tables, and now, as you’ll be able to see, self poor bars, our Blu Faucet expertise is our imaginative and prescient that represents combining cell fee and age and identification verification to unlock really compliant and accountable self service,” Cordisco stated.
Accountable Innovation Award
Kadeya Bottling Plant in a Field
 |
Picture: Kadeya |
Kadeya is revolutionizing office hydration by means of its patented beverage kiosk expertise, designed to considerably cut back plastic waste and greenhouse gasoline emissions. These kiosks, which operate like merchandising machines, wash, sanitize, examine, and refill stainless-steel bottles, eliminating 99.9% of plastic waste and lowering GHG emissions by 75% in comparison with conventional single-use beverage packaging. Focused at industrial worksites the place hydration is vital for security and productiveness, Kadeya operates on a Hydration-as-a-Service mannequin that lowers logistics prices and security dangers whereas offering a superior person expertise.
Kadeya’s revolutionary strategy addresses the $15 billion U.S. hydration alternative in industrial workplaces and has world scalability potential, aiming to exchange single-use beverage packaging with a sustainable, reusable resolution. The system additionally options digital instruments that monitor hydration ranges, empowering employers to proactively handle employee security and compliance with OSHA requirements. Kadeya’s “infinite bottle” expertise, mixed with its distinctive digital insights, represents a complete and accessible resolution for lowering environmental impression whereas enhancing worker well-being.
Greatest use of robotics
Rays Idea Growth BV Sizzling Wheels Merchandising Machine
The award for greatest use of robotics goes to the Sizzling Wheels Merchandising Machine, a technically superior retail resolution. A big-scale themed expertise, it incorporates a central wheel that homes a robotic arm. This arm effectively retrieves Sizzling Wheels vehicles from a completely built-in rack and delivers them to a spiraling monitor.
The machine’s revolutionary design optimizes storage capability and permits for the seamless motion of vehicles. Clients work together with the machine utilizing QR codes, enhancing the general purchasing expertise. A sturdy back-end system ensures environment friendly inventory administration, enabling the machine to carry as much as 160 completely different automobile fashions.
