Pepsi unveils beverage dispenser with touchscreen and smartphone connectivity

PepsiCo unveils a beverage dispenser that connects to your smartphone. © Courtesy of PepsiCo, Inc.

In honour of Earth Day on April 22, PepsiCo unveiled a connected beverage dispenser to help people stay hydrated and the planet be less polluted by single-use plastic bottles. 

As part of PepsiCo's Beyond the Bottle initiative to make consuming beverages more sustainable, the company is launching a connected dispenser that "addresses consumer demands for smart and more sustainable on-the-go beverage options". 

The whole system consists of the water dispenser, a companion mobile application, and personalised QR code stickers that users can place on their reusable bottles. Because the dispenser will be able to recognise these unique codes, it can track how much a person consumes and what their preferred beverage is. 

This #EarthDay, the next step in our Beyond the Bottle journey is here. Our new hydration platform is another way we’re working to deliver more beverages without single-use plastic bottles. pic.twitter.com/nHbdJzq3XZ— PepsiCo (@PepsiCo) April 22, 2019

This information can be viewed on the complementary application where users can create and track their daily hydration goals. Furthermore, you'll be able to see how many plastic bottles you saved by reusing a bottle. 

The dispenser allows for complete beverage customisation including zero-calorie flavour, carbonation, and temperature. Drinks can be saved to the mobile app so that you get your preferred drink every time without having to input the settings. 

The application will be available for Android and iOS, and the entire platform will launch this year in select universities, workplaces, and hospitality places. – AFP Relaxnews