The UK is suffering from a food poverty crisis and it’s getting worse. More than 8 million people are struggling to put food on the table which has led to a 13% rise in food bank use. This has put a huge strain on food banks and their ability to consistently provide balanced and nutritious meals.

We wanted to help.

We analysed food bank supply chains and discovered a problem – with traditional donation practices, they often end up with too much of certain products and not enough of other essential items.

Through the creative use of technology and data, we built the Sending Machine – a digital vending machine that doesn’t dispense food but sends it straight to the local food bank making food donation smarter and more efficient.

Most people look on vending machines as something they use to buy things for themselves. We wanted to turn that on its head and create a vending machine that can be used to provide food for other people.

The Sending Machine is a digital vending machine that comprises of a touch screen display and touch payment device.

Working with a local food bank, we created a set of products that represented their major stock categories. Designed and rendered in 3D, these populate the screen reminiscent of a vending machine.

Food bank stock data is collected and analysed and the Sending Machine updates in real-time, reconfiguring to display the products that are urgently required.

Passers-by are able to send what’s really needed to those who really need it with just two taps. Tapping the product on the screen selects it. Tapping a credit card, debit card or pay enabled smartphone on the payment device makes the purchase.

The donation is confirmed by an on-screen animation that sees the product ‘sent’ backwards in the vending machine coil.

The donated item is added to a communal checkout. When this reaches a designated threshold, an order is placed with an online retailer who delivers the goods to the food bank.

One of the benefits of this streamlined process is that delivery can be synchronized with food bank distribution schedules. This means fresh food can be donated as well as the typical long-life products.

Due to stagnating wages, rising living costs and the introduction of Universal Credit, the food poverty crisis isn’t showing any sign of slowing down.

The Sending Machine will continue to help alleviate the strain on food banks. It’s an innovative solution that can help guarantee their success in providing essential support to those in need.