The ticket vending experience has transformed dramatically over the past few years. Due to the data revolution, traditional ticket vending machines which were previously enriched with sensors, connected devices, HD touchscreens, are now also backended with well-defined analytical tools. These terminals are centrally managed to provide high operational efficiency, ensure product availability, and maximize revenue.
The ever-changing market landscape is constantly pushing operators to further the overall customer experience. Today, customers demand a highly interactive, intelligent, and safe terminal, offering a seamless platform experience. As operators now plan to remodel their operations to meet newer customer expectations, they are inclined towards developing systems that push the bar of passenger satisfaction higher than ever before.
Conversational user interface for visually impaired
India is home to over 20% of the world's blind population. Interacting with traditional user interfaces can be challenging for people with visual disabilities. Many technological inferences that provide speech-based conversational interfaces and virtual assistants have served tremendous potential, particularly for this user group. Transit, too, being an essential activity, needs to be further simplified to enhance accessibility. Ticket Vending machines need to be equipped with assistive technology such as audio or tactile responses to ease usage.
VOI or voice-based user interface offers a more convenient and natural way to interact with devices creating a comfortable environment for almost everyone. This can be specifically beneficial for people with visual impairments, as this user group can consume digital services by speaking and listening. Further, these terminals could also accommodate braille-supported keypads or audio functions to assist the overall ease of use.
Creating a contactless & conversational vending experience
Technical innovations such as face recognition, voice assistants, IoT, advanced analytical integration are turning vending machines into efficient, convenient, and engaging interfaces. Cloud connectivity, IoT sensors, and analytics can enable vendors to track inventory levels and optimize delivery routes in real-time. Remote monitoring tools can also help manage uptime/downtime, run quality checks, prevent malfunction, and fix technical glitches regarding machine software. These backend tools have enabled operators to analyze purchasing patterns of buyers, peak hours and gauge overall terminal deployment success.
However, with the ongoing digitization boom, radical changes in the user interface are also expected. The pandemic has increased the importance of safety, and "physical contact" with foreign surfaces is now a thing of the past. As a result, the acceptance towards cashless and cardless transactions, digital wallets, RFID ticketing, gesture-based interactions, sensor-based gating systems has increased multifold over the last few years.
People also expect similar kinds of convenience, customization, and contactless services from kiosks and vending machines. Consequently, along with intelligence and innovation, many businesses are also searching for technical solutions that enable users to take forward the automated vending experience without the need of any physical contact.
Safe and convenient vending experience
A contactless vending machine equipped with the ability of conversational intelligence and advanced payment options is the need of the hour. Such automated vending machines are the key to the future of automated retailing. By using digital kiosks technology with AI, customers will have a self-service solution without the need to touch the screen.
Automated Ticket Vending Machines can also deliver all services in a contactless, customized, and human-like manner. The combination of cognitive intelligence and conversational interfaces will be able to provide a unique vending experience, ensuring greater accessibility to travel and transit.
Future of voice user interface for Visually Challenged
Voice user interfaces will only advance and dominate in the future as per future trends and predictions. The increase in personalized voice interface experiences and greater integration of voice user interfaces is likely to simplify our everyday lives. The predicted shift towards voice search in the future from text search, the use of voice device channel notifications, advertising through VUIs, and the need for better security of voice user interfaces to protect our personal information will be the highlight of technical advancements in the years to come.