Unmanned bulk point-of-sale machine
Budget: $3,000 – $5,000 USD
Wanting to develop a program that sells large quantities of bulk product (gravel, pellets, sand, etc.) by weight through customer interaction. This system is to be used in semi-remote places with electrical access to sell product closer to demand without an attendant. This machine will be used outside, but sensitive components will be protected from weather. A close comparison would be a self-serve gas pump.
This will preauthorize a credit card or read a customer account card, activate a momentary on/off switch for the customer's use, read a decrease in weight from a storage bin, calculate the difference, apply a price, finalize the transaction, and transmit the transaction receipt to a central computer to record current stock.
It is preferable to use common off-the-shelf components for simplicity, cost, and maintenance.
This will preauthorize a credit card or read a customer account card, activate a momentary on/off switch for the customer's use, read a decrease in weight from a storage bin, calculate the difference, apply a price, finalize the transaction, and transmit the transaction receipt to a central computer to record current stock.
It is preferable to use common off-the-shelf components for simplicity, cost, and maintenance.