Technology
This self-driving billboard and vending machine is so dystopian
If San Francisco’s robot security guards faced backlash for simply standing around, an autonomous tech company’s latest self-driving idea doesn’t stand a chance.
This week PerceptIn, a Chinese robotics company with Silicon Valley offices, introduced the DragonFly Intelligent Advertising Vehicle, a self-driving vending machine and mobile advertising unit. It’s effectively a robotic billboard that takes your money.
A promo video for the device, above, shows the small robot on wheels flagging down a thirsty runner. You can also hail the robot from your phone to buy food or drinks, or other products that companies want to put on wheels.
PerceptIn considers this a new way to grab would-be customers’ attention (that isn’t on a smartphone, computer, or boring stationary billboard). Apparently in a 15-minute test in a commercial complex, the vehicle caught the attention of 1,000 people. Nearly 60 percent of viewers looked at the autonomous advertisement for more than 5 seconds, which PerceptIn considers a sign of being “highly engaged.”
This is something new, different, and pretty strange, so it seems like the novelty factor is contributing to engagement. If these mobile ads start popping up everywhere, it will likely be a similar story to pop-up or banner ads on the web.
The company says the DragonFly is a retail opportunity and will start selling it in the first part of 2019 for $40,000. It’s this lowish price compared to other digital billboards (this marketing site says a digital ad starts at around $10,000 for a month depending on the location) and to other self-driving vehicles that the CEO sees as a key selling point. That and its capabilities to collect location-based data showing when and where people are paying attention to the vehicle.
Back to the price, the CEO’s got a point. Self-driving vehicles are usually super expensive. The autonomous equipment alone usually starts at around $100,000. But at least those cars can get you somewhere.
-
Business6 days ago
Langdock raises $3M with General Catalyst to help businesses avoid vendor lock-in with LLMs
-
Entertainment5 days ago
What Robert Durst did: Everything to know ahead of ‘The Jinx: Part 2’
-
Entertainment5 days ago
This nova is on the verge of exploding. You could see it any day now.
-
Business5 days ago
India’s election overshadowed by the rise of online misinformation
-
Business4 days ago
This camera trades pictures for AI poetry
-
Business5 days ago
CesiumAstro claims former exec spilled trade secrets to upstart competitor AnySignal
-
Business7 days ago
Screen Skinz raises $1.5 million seed to create custom screen protectors
-
Entertainment7 days ago
Dating culture has become selfish. How do we fix it?