Interactive Food Sampling Stand With Motion-Triggered Projection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sampling stands for food products in retail stores face challenges in maintaining hygiene, durability, and attractiveness, especially when frequently used for different promotions, and lack interactive features to engage customers effectively.

Innovation Solution

A sampling stand with a base unit, gantry, projector unit, and motion sensor that projects images onto the display worktop and surrounding floor area, controlled by a controller to adapt to customer interactions, allowing for adjustable modes and gesture recognition, ensuring hygiene and engaging customer interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a sampling stand is used frequently for different promotions, then it needs to be robust and durable, but maintaining an attractive appearance and hygiene standards becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverobustness and durabilityVSAvoidhygiene standards and appearance

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sampling stand is divided into a permanent base unit and removable promotional components (signage, display materials). The base unit maintains a clean, hygienic appearance while promotional elements can be easily removed and replaced, preventing contamination and maintaining attractiveness throughout frequent use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Promotional signage and display materials are designed to be temporarily affixed and easily removed after use. This allows the stand to be quickly reset between promotions, maintaining hygiene standards by removing potentially contaminated promotional materials while preserving the durable base structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Ease of operation

If a sampling stand uses traditional static displays, then it is simple to operate, but it lacks interactive features to engage customers effectively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of operationVSAvoidcustomer engagement capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The sampling stand incorporates motion sensors that detect customer presence and automatically trigger interactive projections. This feedback mechanism allows the stand to adapt to customer interactions without requiring manual operation, maintaining simplicity while enhancing engagement through responsive visual feedback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Traditional mechanical interactive displays are replaced with projection-based visual systems controlled by motion sensors. This substitution maintains ease of operation by eliminating complex mechanical interfaces while providing versatile, engaging visual content that responds automatically to customer presence and gestures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a sampling stand projects images onto the display worktop, then it enhances product promotion, but it may compromise hygiene standards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct promotion effectivenessVSAvoidhygiene standards

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A transparent or semi-transparent projection surface is introduced as an intermediary between the projector and the food samples. This allows images to be projected without direct contact between the projection components and the food, maintaining hygiene while enabling effective visual promotion of products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The display worktop serves multiple functions: it remains a hygienic surface for displaying food samples while simultaneously acting as a projection surface for promotional images. This multi-functionality allows the same surface to fulfill both hygiene requirements and marketing objectives without compromise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a robust, durable, and hygienic sampling stand that effectively engages customers through interactive projections, enhancing product promotion and customer experience while maintaining ease of use and mobility.

Implementation Method 1

a projector unit at the gantry to project a visible image onto the display worktop of the base unit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight projection: Light

Implementation Method 2

a motion sensor at the gantry to detect motion between the gantry and the base unit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMotion detection:

Data Source

PatentUS10168608B2Sampling stand for food products in a retail store and method of operating a sampling stand

Publication Date: 2019.01.01 ASDA

AI summary

A sampling stand for displaying samples of food products such as in a grocery retail store. A base unit of the sampling stand has a display worktop. A gantry is mounted above the base unit. A projector unit located in the gantry projects a visible image onto the display worktop of the base unit and/or onto a surrounding floor area. A motion sensor is arranged in the gantry and detects motions between the gantry and the base unit, and/or between the gantry and the floor area. A controller is configured to control the visible images projected by the projector dependent upon the motion sensed by the motion sensor.