The banking and payments industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation owing to ever-changing consumer expectations. The rapid technological developments in the areas of banking and payments that aim to offer seamless experience to consumers are now becoming even more vital for industry participants as competitors leverage new technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, and embedded finance as they compete to stay relevant and grow in the market. In the last three years alone, there have been over 92,000 patents filed and granted in the banking industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Robotics in Banking: smart vending machines.
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 195,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the banking industry, there are 60+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Smart vending machines is a key innovation area in robotics
Smart vending machines are equipped with advanced technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, and IoT connectivity to provide more personalised and interactive experiences to customers and optimise the operations of vending operators.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 30+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established banking companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of smart vending machines.
Key players in smart vending machines – a disruptive innovation in the banking industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to smart vending machines
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Nuro is a key patent filer in the field of smart vending machines. The company has filed several patents related to automated retail store on autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle. Some other key patent filers in the smart vending machines industry are Outerwall and Shandong New Beiyang Info-Tech.
In terms of application diversity, Tanktwo leads the pack. Nuro and Barclays stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Midea holds the top position, followed by Hewlett Packard and Cleveron.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the banking industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Banking.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get industry leading news, data and analysis delivered to your inbox
GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
