PHINMA University of Pangasinan

College of Engineering and Architecture

Department of Mechanical Engineering

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND EVALUATION OF A SCHOOL SUPPLIES

VENDING MACHINE FOR PHINMA UNIVERSITY OF PANGASINAN

Researchers:

ARENAS, Phoebe S.

BALBERAN, Rogianne P.

LORESCO, John Lloyd B.

SANCHEZ, Leanne G.

SARMIENTO, Franky Dave A.

 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

Rationale of the Study

Vending machines have been providing services not only for consumers but also

to the business people. Ranging from foods and beverages, medicines, hygiene products,

and even school supplies, vending machines have been a vital tool in the convenience of

the public. Basically, vending machines are machines that dispense items after the

customer has chosen and deposit money. The mechanism of the vending machine is that

it has a coin slot where specific coins can be slid into. It has a digital display and buttons

to help the consumer choose the specific item they need. A hole in the bottom of the

machine is where they are going to get the item they purchased in the vending machine.

The fabrication and testing of the vending machine that dispenses school supplies

is intended for the students. Students do not always have enough time to purchase or

carry necessary school supplies before or during the school day. This is one of the reasons

why vending machines should be permitted in schools. Vending machines can represent

an option for students who forgot to bring their school materials, have school limitations,

or dislike certain sorts of school supplies. These students are frequently left out before,

during, and after classes because they are unable to locate or bring necessary items once

the class begins. However, vending machines provide them with a variety of possibilities.

In addition to students, vending machines provide instructors, administrators, and

maintenance workers with access to school materials throughout their workday.

 Purchasing school materials or supplies can become challenging or hard,

especially when there's an urgent need for the item and the store is located far from the

room or your area, that’s why the Researchers conducted this study for students to have

an alternative way to buy school supplies. The researchers also conducted this study for

the convenience and accessibility of purchasing school supplies, having time saved by

avoiding going to the store and the accessibility of vending machines for all individuals.

The vending machine can be placed in hallways of the school buildings making it faster

and easier for students to purchase school supplies especially if they are in the middle of

doing a school activity. It also lessens the hassle of the students since they are not

required to go to stores outside the school premises just to purchase the supply they need.

Furthermore, vending machines can also provide additional revenue for schools. This

extra money may be utilized for repairs, scheduling field excursions, and purchasing

materials. The advantages of vending machines may add a distinctive component to

school, with creative, low-maintenance vending options easily available. Vending

machines offer significant advantages in terms of convenience and accessibility.

The vending machine can distribute basic school supplies such as pencils, pens,

erasers, rulers, markers, papers, and notebooks.

Objective of the Study

The main objective of this study is to design, develop, and evaluate a school supply

vending machine that is capable of providing a more innovative, convenient, and reliable

access to essential educational materials for the students and the educators of the

PHINMA University of Pangasinan.

 Specifically, the objectives of this study are:

1. Design a functional and user-friendly school supply vending machine

capable of providing a more innovative, convenient, and reliable access to

essential educational materials for the students and the educators of the

PHINMA University of Pangasinan.

2. Develop the necessary software and hardware components as well as

fabricate the other parts of the school supply vending machine in order to

provide a more innovative, convenient, and reliable access to essential

educational materials.

3. Evaluate the performance of the school supply vending machine in terms

of functionality or reliability, ease of operation or user-friendliness, and

accessibility.

4. Propose recommendations for the integration of the school supply vending

machine in a modern educational environment.

Theoretical Framework

There are 2 main theories in making a vending machine. Demand-side and supply-side

theories can be used in the framework of a vending machine project to better understand

consumer/customer behavior as well as the operational side of the vending machine

industry.
1) Demand-Side Theory:

Understanding consumer/customer behavior and preferences, which in the end

determine the demand for products or services, is the main goal of demand-side

theory. Many facets of demand-side theory may apply to a vending machine

project, including:

Consumer Preferences: It's important to know what goods customers or the

students want to buy. To find popular or in demand school supply or other

products that consumers are likely to buy from vending machines, market

research is required.

Location analysis: finding the best spot for vending machines based on consumer

behavior patterns, demographic information, and foot traffic. To optimize sales,

vending machines should be positioned in busy places like canteen, hallways, and

student plaza.

Product Placement: Placing products inside the vending machine strategically

requires the use of information gleaned from customer behavior studies. Putting

popular items close to the machine's entrance or at eye level can improve

exposure and promote sales.

2) Supply-Side Theory:

Supply-side theories focus on a business's operational elements, such as price,

distribution, and production plans. Supply-side theories are essential for maximizing

the effectiveness and profitability of a vending machine project.

 - Inventory Management: By using inventory management strategies, you may

minimize waste and loss while keeping the vending machine well-stocked with

popular items. This involves maintaining a watch on sales data, estimating demand,

and replacing inventories as necessary.

- Cost management: Putting into practice economical methods for locating goods, and

maximizing operational effectiveness. This may involve cutting energy use,

maximizing route planning for vending machine replenishing, and haggling with

suppliers for bulk savings.

Applying both supply-side and demand-side theories into the vending machine

project allows firms to maximize revenue and operational efficiency while efficiently

meeting consumer/student/customer needs.

Conceptual Framework
Fig. 1 School Vending Machines Conceptual Framework

The vending machine is one of these automated machines which supply needed things to

the customer. The vending machine can be categorized into product-oriented and service

oriented machines, where it distributes a lot of things. As it has many benefits, such as,

manpower is not needed, flexibility in time, saving time, reducing labor cost, increasing

profitability, and etc. Therefore, vending machines are used commonly worldwide.

(Rahyan, et al., (2023).

The figure shown above is the schematic diagram of the study. It presents two main

variables which are school vending machines as the main study and students or

instructors are the targets of this particular study. On the other hand, the three remaining

boxes are as important to the other. It represents the main objective of the study, which

pertains to having a vending machines in campuses that sells school supplies whether it

can be really convenient, not time consuming and the same time if it is accessible to the

students or instructor providing their own needs, as vending machines proven their own

used in other aspect.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate a school supply vending

machine that is capable of providing a more innovative, convenient, and reliable access to

essential educational materials for the students and the educators of the PHINMA

University of Pangasinan.
 This study aimed to answer the question: “What are the design specifications of

the proposed school supply vending machine that will provide a more innovative,

convenient, and reliable access to essential educational materials for the students and the

educators of the PHINMA University of Pangasinan?”

With this issue, numerous subproblems are identified, each are essential for the

understanding of the complexities and implications of using the school supply vending

machine instead of the traditional selling of essential school supplies inside the

University of Pangasinan. With this regard, the researchers sought to answer the

questions:

1. What are the design requirements or criteria of the proposed school supply

vending machine?

2. What is the process flowchart of the proposed school supply vending

machine?

3. What are the components or elements together with their respective

material specifications and functions of the proposed school supply

vending machine?

4. What three-dimensional representations best illustrate the proposed school

supply vending machine?

5. What are the algorithms/programs and design calculations used for the

development of the proposed school supply vending machine?

 6. What are the fabrication processes, tools, and equipment used in the

construction of the proposed school supply vending machine?

7. What are the results of the performance analysis of the proposed school

supply vending machine in terms of its:

a. Functionality or reliability,

b. Ease of operation or user-friendliness, and

c. Accessibility

8. What are the design specifications of the proposed school supply vending

machine that will provide a more innovative, convenient, and reliable

access to essential educational materials for the students and the educators

of the PHINMA University of Pangasinan?

Scope and Delimitation

By identifying the scopes and delimitations of the proposed study, the researchers

will be focusing on exploring the effectiveness and efficiency of the School Supplies

Vending Machine while acknowledging the potential restrictions and limitations.

The study is limited to the campus of PHINMA University of Pangasinan. It will

be focusing on the implementation and evaluation of the School Supplies Vending

Machine.

This study is only concerned in developing a device that will dispense different

kinds of school supplies. This dispenser will accept coins only. This study will not
recognize a card. The output of this study will help students to supply their school

supplies needs around the campus.

Significance of the Study

This study will help to increase the awareness of the students about the

effectiveness and accessibility of school supply vending machines. It provides an output

that would be beneficial to the students, teachers, parents, school administrators,

community, and future researchers.

Students: They will be aware that they can access school supplies in a most convenient

way and there are profound effects on their identity development and academic success.

Teachers: This study would help them to propose surprise performance tasks and

activities thinking that students are able to access school materials inside the school when

they forgot to bring any. Also, this study would help them appreciate the students’

academic performance.

School Administrators: They could envision that a school supply vending machine could

be a significant determinant of a wide range in social and psychological function of

students, so the tendency is they’ll make a policy or to strengthen the implementation of

the school supply vending machine.

Parents: They will be acquainted about their child's performance, well, commonly

because the school supply vending machine could both reflect and deflect attitudes that

affect their child's academic achievements.

Community: It will serve as an eye opener because the community’s success will depend

on its future people. This study will help raise awareness of the results of the availability

of school supply vending machines.

Future Researchers: Our study could serve as a reference for other researches that will be

made in the future.

Definition of Key-Terms

Vending Machine. an automated machine that dispenses a product to the users based on

the amount of money inserted and selection of the product.

Accessibility. the quality of being easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, use, or

understand.

Convenience. the state of being able to proceed with something with little effort or

difficulty

Product-oriented. when a business focuses on its product or service's quality and

performance

Flexibility. the ability to change to suit new conditions or situations

Psychological. concerned with a person's mind and thoughts.

Eye-opener. an event or situation that proves to be unexpectedly enlightening

Coin Slot. a slot through which coins can be inserted into a slot machine.

Arduino. Arduino is an open-source platform used for building electronics projects.

Arduino consists of both a physical programmable circuit board (often referred to as a

microcontroller) and a piece of software, or IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

that runs on your computer, used to write and upload computer code to the physical

board.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter contains the studies, finished thesis, and discussions regarding the

research that is being conducted. It aims to provide the framework for the analysis and

interpretation of data obtained in subsequent chapters by conducting an in-depth review

of the relevant literature and research.

Review of Related Literature

Vending Machine

The vending machine is one of these automated machines which supply needed

things to the customer [4]. The vending machine can be categorized into product-oriented

and service oriented machines [5]. It distributes snacks, beverages, public transit tickets,

jewelry, telephone facility, entertainment things, and etc. [5]. As it has many benefits,

such as, manpower is not needed, flexibility in time, saving time [7], reducing labor cost,

increasing profitability, and etc. [8]. Therefore, vending machines are used commonly

worldwide [4]. (Rahyan, et al., (2023)

A vending machine is designed to give consumers a wide variety of goods, such

as drinks, snacks, pizzas, cupcakes, newspapers, tickets, and so on. Depending on the

user's choices and the quantity of money deposited, a vending machine dispenses a

product. The vending machine is a stand-alone, 24-hour device that needs a regular

power supply connection in order to operate. It is made up of basic electro-mechanical

systems which help in automating the vending machine process as a whole. Its primary
purpose is to provide people with a wide variety of products at any time in an excellent

manner (Babu, n.d.).

Observing the potential and relevance of the vending machine, works in

universities have been developed with the aim that their students develop the potential to

build and operate them as a complementary part of their training or as thesis work to

obtain a degree, within the Which is included, the approach is given as a business based

on a theoretical foundation under established parameters and standards, formulating a

situational diagnosis of the emerging needs and requirements in the market (Rojas

Cabrera, 2020). Some works propose a project with a commitment to the environment

and sustainable development, providing the opportunity for the installation site to educate

themselves on knowledge (Romero Pascual, 2020).

Having a vending machine that provides basic school supplies such as pens,

highlighters, pencils, and erasers positively impacts the students since they are most

likely to finish and complete their homework and assignments on time, resulting in high

test scores. Installing a vending machine that sells supplies instead of snacks carries more

than just financial benefits. In an article published under Tolerance Magazine written by

Seattle Professor Chad Donohue, he mentioned that forgetting writing utensils results in

the student feeling extreme stress. Donohue also noted that removing that kind of stress

improves the student's mental health and attendance records. "A class material vending

machine would solve both problems. Students would not have to worry themselves with

requesting a writing utensil from their teacher in front of their entire class; if they have a

quarter, they have a pencil." (Devinney, 2019).

 According to an article by Stochl (2021), installing vending machines that carry

school supplies helps save student’s time and energy, and also offers faster and better

accessibility to purchasing school supplies rather than purchasing supplies at a bookstore.

A vending machine is always convenient. When purchasing a specific school material,

the student can itemize the desired quantity and will be dispensed after inserting the

appropriate number of coins as the vending machine will verify the amount of money

inserted and proceed with the dispensing of the school material.

Arduino

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware

and software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs - light on a sensor, a finger on a

button, or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an

LED, publishing something online [4]. With Arduino, users can tell the board what to do

by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board. To do so you use the

Arduino programming language (based on Wiring), and the Arduino Software (IDE),

based on Processing. Arduino board designs use a variety of microprocessors and

controllers. The boards are equipped with sets of digital and analog input/output (I/O)

pins that may be interfaced to various expansion boards (shields) and other circuits. The

boards feature serial communications interfaces, including Universal Serial Bus (USB)

on some models, which are also used for loading programs from personal computers. The

microcontrollers are typically programmed using a dialect of features from the

programming languages C and C++. (Wong, et al., 2019).

 A traditional vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such

as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card,

or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or otherwise made. With the

growth of technology, lots of innovation has arrived. These features offer a personalized

and convenient experience for consumers. Based on Globe News Wire (2024), smart

vending machines amalgamate cutting-edge technologies with traditional vending

systems, incorporating IoT sensors, RFID, and AI-driven analytics. The objective is to

evolve vending operations into intelligent, data-centric systems that adapt to consumer

preferences, optimize stock levels, and deliver a seamless, automated retail experience.

Coin Detector

Coins, bills, credit and debit cards are currently the accepted form of payment in

vending machines. In the future, vending machines are expected to accept smartphone

application payments (Gavilanes, 2018).

As indicated in the study conducted by Murena et al. (2020) entitled “Design of a

Control System for a Vending Machine” that machine methods of payment exist in

various forms. The most common is the coin-based payment system. The machine

integrates mechanical and electronic concepts to create a compact product delivery

process. As technology advances rapidly, organizations strive to improve consumer

engagement through innovative business models and marketing tactics. The coin payment

system allows the input of a number of different coins into the vending machine for a

purchase. The system using inbuilt coins with programmed characteristics are validated

and checked against specific standards to ensure their validity. If the coin passes
validation, the system calculates its total value and compares it to the price of the chosen

goods. If the value matches the price, the transaction is complete and the product is

delivered via the mechanical delivery system.

Postal Museum Japan has an exhibit featuring the oldest extant vending machine

in Japan, an “automatic postage stamp machine” made by Tawaraya in 1904 to sell

stamps and postcards. The outer casing of this machine is made of wood and stands 72

cm high, 40 cm wide and 24 cm deep. Viewed from front on, there is a sold-out display

window and a coin intake slot on top, with a product vending outlet underneath that,

followed by a handle underneath that. At the bottom, there is a return outlet and a

postbox. Specifications of this machine: (1) Selling price: stamps - 3 sen (1 sen + 2 sen),

postcards - 1 sen 5 rin (one postcard for 1 sen + 5 rin, two postcards for 1sen+ 2 sen) (2)

Operation: Manual (product dispensed by inserting coins and pulling the handle) (3)

Change: Change prepared in advance; if 3 sen was inserted but one postcard was sold out,

then 1 sen 5 rin would be given in change (4) Sold-out display: If there was no more

product, the sold-out display would show and the coin intake slot would be blocked off

(5) Validation mechanism: Coins that were too large in diameter would not fit in the

intake slot, while coins that were too small in diameter or too thin would be ejected by

the coin chute. This mechanism was the same as that in the Tawaraya patent no. 964; the

same principle was applied to coin validation devices used in the ¥10 juice vending

machines that became popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Currently, coin identification by machines relies on the assessment of the coin's

physical parameters. An intelligent coin identification system that uses coin patterns for

identification helps prevent confusion between different coins of similar physical

dimensions. In this paper, an intelligent coin identification system (ICIS) is proposed.

ICIS uses a neural network and pattern averaging to recognize rotated coins at various

degrees. Slot machines in Europe accept the new Turkish 1 Lira coin as a 2 Euro coin due

to physical similarities. (Kashman, et al., 2006)

Review of Related Studies

Local

According to the study conducted by Detablan, Marquez and Refre (2011), The

design’s concept is a vending machine that dispenses various school materials. It is

intended to provide students faster access to buying school supplies rather than

purchasing supplies from the bookstore that usually results in too much time wasted and

normally, a hassle. When buying a specific school material, the student can itemize the

quantity they want and it will be dispensed after inserting the necessary amount of coins

needed. The whole transaction will only be done depending on how many items the

student bought since the design is incorporating a single payment. The total number of

items obtained with each type of school supply available will also be tallied automatically

by the machine. Students insert an amount of money necessary then specifies the type of

school supply and its desired quantity. The vending machine will check the amount of

money inserted and process the dispensing of the school material.The vending machine

dispenses the desired school material and its quantity.

As stated by Ratnasri and Sharmilan (2018), Vending machines are currently the

most popular. They are typically used to dispense products or items that do not require

the presence of a sales representative. It can be found practically anywhere, including

Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) and coffee vending machines. Vending machines
make it easier to buy and sell automated machines' items. These machines are effective

and versatile, allowing them to be used indoors or outdoors. They are capable of

operating continuously and may accept cash or credit cards. As far as we can tell, none of

these automated devices sell students' most fundamental needs, such as school supplies.

School supplies are required at school. School supplies are in extremely high demand in

our society on a daily basis. The difficulty is that students sometimes neglect their

belongings in their homes for a variety of reasons. Students rush outside the school to

purchase ball pens, yellow papers, bond papers, and other supplies. Going to a store that

sells these products requires a significant amount of effort, time, and energy. The team

devised an automatic school supply vending machine using an Arduino Uno. Considering

the pace at which the world is working in today, it is important to have fast paced

machines that dispense what consumers need. Many traders choose this type of machine

because it saves time, has a wide range of products available at all hours of the day, and is

conveniently located near the school.

"School Supply Vending Machine" (2018) Reyes et. al. The design was developed

using the experimental development approach, and its functionality was assessed using

the descriptive method. Nine carefully selected assessors, including non-teaching staff,

office workers, and students, were invited to take part in the research. The equipment

could operate satisfactorily, according to the findings, since the evaluators strongly

agreed with the representations made about the vending machine's capabilities. A school

supply vending machine is a great help for children who frequently forget or lose their

school supplies. However, the study indicated substantial concerns about the cost of

employing the gadgets.

 Based on the research paper presented by Arzadon, et al. entitled “School

Supplies Vending Machine” at Batangas Eastern College (2020). School supplies are

essential in the classroom. The study focuses on the development of School Supplies

Vending Machines and on its benefits to the respondents. As it is conducted, the study

explains the essential use of a vending machine to the students of Batangas Eastern

Colleges. The researcher’s hopes to better understand the function and help of vending

machines which are really practical because they make it possible for the students and

teachers to quickly and affordably receive what they need.

FOREIGN

The Study entitled “An Investigation into Waste Reducing Vending Machine

Pens, Pencils, and Highlighters” conducted by Pehlke et. al (2011) elaborated that as a

part of the new UBC SUB project, the AMS is implementing a waste-reducing vending

machine. This machine will offer students reusable products, such as coffee cups, cutlery,

and office supplies. This report assesses the feasibility of stocking refillable office

supplies; specifically pens, pencils, and highlighters. The analysis is done using a triple

bottom line assessment, looking at the social, environmental, and economic impacts of

stocking such supplies. For the social analysis, a survey was conducted that presented

students with a collection of refillable school supplies and students were asked to choose

their favorites. Information into the product’s recycled content and cost were given to

help aid the decision. The environmental analysis compared manufactures and specific

models of supplies for the types of materials used, the amount of recycled material, the

company’s environmental policy, and packaging options in order to evaluate the

environmental friendliness of products. With these recommendations, the economic

analysis looked at which socially accepted, environmentally friendly products could be

optimized from a cost perspective, and where these products can be purchased. In the

final recommendations, the vending machine should contain the following Pilot products:

Pilot BeGreen B2P Gel Pen, Pilot BeGreen Precise V5 Rolling Ball Pen, Pilot BeGreen

Progrex 0.5 Mechanical Pencil, and their refills.

R. Kishore (2022) claims that portable vending machines are incredibly useful

tools for distributing compact, easily accessible essential supplies. meant for use by

humans. The objective is to construct a prototype for an automatic vending machine that

may be used to deliver sanitary napkins, pens, and pencils as needed in hospitals,

campuses, and other public spaces. Appropriate mechanical designs for collecting items.

Coin counting and dispensing also make use of microcontroller circuitry. Ideas must be

offered and carried out instantly. Since their debut, vending machines have been

increasingly significant as a distribution channel. In the workplace and in educational

institutions, vending machines are quite helpful. In our country, automatic vending

machines are not very common. Therefore, having a real-time machine like this one

working will be very helpful to people. The machine's benefits include not requiring any

labor, using less power, taking up less space, requiring no maintenance, being portable,

and being easy to use. The aim is to build a vending machine. prototype for a

transaction-based product sales model. Furthermore, the products' availability is verified.

It finds it. The majority of the application's users are students.

According to Eliza Van Pete (2022), bringing a book vending machine to school

helps to build a strong reading community in schools. Vending machines, in general,

became very popular in the 1950s, and since then it’s become common to see vending

machines for all kinds of materials. Vending machines tend to stock low-cost items and

are located in convenient places where someone might need to purchase something

on-the-go. The first known book-dispensing vending machine was actually created by an

English bookseller, Richard Carlile, in 1822. Carlile wanted to sell provocative and

banned books without being punished for stocking “blasphemous material.” He started

the book vending machine in order to sell copies of Paine’s Age of Reason. These days,

the majority of the book vending machines in the United States are actually for the

purpose of providing free or low-cost books for children. Many schools and nonprofits

operated book vending machines in order to combat the children’s lack of access to

books.

The University of California, Los Angeles' "Availability of vending machines and

school stores in California schools" (2020) This study looked at the availability of meals

in US public and private schools' school stores and vending machines, as well as the

relationships between those items' availability and the consumption and purchases made

by students.

A mechanical vending system for vending long cylindrical objects such as

pencils was invented by Bob Kornegey (1992) and was successfully patented in 1993.

The system comprises a cabinet housing the unvended pencils and a coin acceptor

mechanism for receiving the coins and vending one pencil at a time. The coins are

deposited in a coin deposit box located in the interior of the cabinet thereof for storage

until the service personnel retrieve the coins and restock the pencils in the cabinet. The

mechanical pencil vending system has a simplified design, a low initial cost of
manufacture, is easy to install and maintain, is totally independent of an outside power

source, and will allow pencils and other long cylindrical objects to be vended in locations

considered impractical because of the operating labor and the power requirements of

vending machines heretofore.

"Advantages of Vending Machines in Schools" (2018) by the University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill found that school supply vending machines could be a viable

option for providing students with access to needed supplies. The study found that

students were generally positive about the idea of vending machines, and that they

believed they would be helpful in preventing them from forgetting or losing supplies.

However, the study also found that some concerns existed about the cost of using the

machines and the potential for them to be vandalized.

According to the Research paper entitled “Vending Machine Technologies: A

Review Article” by Ratnasri & Sharmilan (2021). Automated vending machines are

devices that automatically dispense goods including drinks, snacks, lottery tickets, and

other items. It is imperative to minimize human energy and save time. These vending

machines are designed using both IoT-based and non-IoT-based methodologies. These

non IoT based machines don't have intelligence and don't use real-time data to operate.

Instead, they work by accepting cash or credit cards as inputs and vending items. A

microcontroller distributes the supplied inputs and controls it. IoT-based vending

machines are automated, feature cashless payment options, allow customers to place

orders online before visiting the machine, and allow customers to locate individual

devices. These Internet of Things devices helped suppliers determine whether the stocks

were available. Prototypes and simulation software are utilized to verify the devices.
According to their research, the majority of vending machines created can function

without Internet of Things technology, and these days, vending machine systems have to

be implemented utilizing IoT paired with artificial intelligence and machine learning to

meet consumer preferences.

Imagine, paying and placing an order in a food outlet only to wait for an extra

twenty to thirty minutes to get the ordered products. How tiring. This is the current

situation in different food outlets and shops. What if we could save time by 75% to 83%

and get an order in five minutes or less? This can be achieved by the design and

development of a fully fletched high–tech vending machine. Current vending machine

owners are facing challenges from hacking and vandalism. The aim of this paper is to

design a high-tech vending machine that can dispense a variety of products at the same

time. The machine uses fingerprint sensors and other high technological features for

security and user-friendliness. The security system which uses biometrics for opening and

closing doors was interrogated and used. An advertising platform was developed using

HTML, JavaScript and CSS to cater for different products on offer. The alarm system is

interfaced with a servo motor and a buzzer for providing added security. Sublime Text

was used for creating a website and XAMPP was used for port forwarding. The result is a

fully fletched vending machine that can safely vend about fifteen products or more all

housed in a robust cabin. The software which will be used to control the system is the

Arduino. This system was chosen because it does not have a high investment cost but

does an excellent job. The components that make up the system are H-bridge, Arduino

board, breadboard, pushbuttons, LED and connectors. (Sibanda, Munetsi, Mpofu,

Murena, & Trimble, 2020)

 The Research study entitled The Commodity Vending Machine presents a typology

of vending machines and lists the various player groupings in the vending sector. From

the standpoint of commodities, vending entails talking about the various kinds of vending

machines and the technological requirements for preparing and storing goods and

services as well as setting up the machine at a certain location. Vending, as seen through

the perspective of marketing, is the selling and distribution of goods and services using a

vending machine. Vending machines are also thought of as a retailer's distribution

channel. There are four distinct categories of individuals in the vending market: (1)

makers of the items and accessories for the vending machines, also known as service

providers; (2) site lessors; (3) operators, merchandisers, and maintenance personnel; and

(4) customers. Vending machines can be classified into two categories: those that focus

on products and those that focus on services. Product-focused vending machines provide

non-food goods in addition to hot and cold meals. Vending machines that are

service-oriented provide a variety of services, such as non-entertainment (scales or

telephones) and entertainment (jukeboxes and slot machines). Furthermore, the buyer can

receive their packaging deposit returned using packaging refund machines (Buber,

Gadner, Gruber, & Ruso, 2005).

As discussed in Baird (2023), schools are also implementing policies that promote

environmentally friendly products. This preference applies to both food and non-food

vending items. The traditional perception of vending machines as mere food and

beverage dispensers is changing in the school setting. Schools are increasingly stocking

these machines with necessary educational supplies, giving students a convenient and

easily accessible source for their needs. Consider the common stationery items, such as
pens, pencils, notepads, and calculators. These are now widely available in vending

machines, eliminating the need for students to leave the school grounds to buy them. This

not only saves time, but also reduces disruptions to their academic schedule. In the digital

age, tech accessories such as USB drives, earphones, and charging cables have become

essential learning tools. These have also found a place in vending machines, allowing

students to quickly replace forgotten items. In summary, the emphasis on sustainability in

school vending machines reflects schools' commitment to leading by example. They not

only provide environmentally friendly options to students, but they also instill in the next

generation the value of sustainability and responsibility.

A meta-analysis of blended learning and technology use in higher education was

carried out by Bernard et al. (2014), who emphasized the possible advantages of

incorporating technology into learning environments. This offers more evidence in favor

of investigating cutting-edge teaching technologies, such vending machines for school

supplies, to improve the learning environment. They highlighted the potential benefits of

integrating technology into learning environments in their meta-analysis of blended

learning and technology use in higher education. This provides more proof in support of

researching innovative teaching technologies to enhance the learning environment,

including school supply vending machines.

According to Rahman and Singh's work "Coin detection Techniques using digital

image processing", most people's daily lives require the capacity to recognize the worth

of different types of currency. It's critical to enable computers to do financial transactions

in order to automate them. appreciated as well. For this reason, we created a system that

was able to identify coins with accuracy.

Past Study and Present Study Related

The studies conducted by the past researchers provided the present researchers

with information that leads to the development of this research.

The study conducted by Detablan, Marquez, and Refre (2011) focused on the goal

of providing the students a more accessible and faster way of purchasing school supplies,

lessening the hassle of the students. The similarity of this study and the present study is

that they are both single payment transaction vending machines.

The similarity of this study and the study conducted by Sibanda, Munetsi, Mpofu,

Murena, & Trimble is that both systems will use Arduino. This system was chosen

because it does not have a high investment cost but does an excellent job. Both devices

have the same components, mainly the H-bridge, Arduino board, breadboard,

pushbuttons, LED and connectors.

The work of Rahman and Singh regarding the coin detection techniques is also

incorporated in this study since the vending machine uses coins and bills as a form of

payment for the services it provides. The importance of being able to recognize the right

amount of money makes the system more secure and reliable, further enhancing the

overall effectiveness of the device.

The studies conducted by the previous researchers showed that it alleviates the

stress that the consumers are experiencing by providing fast, user-friendly, and easy

services. Overall, the integration of school supplies vending machines in educational

settings represents a practical and innovative solution to streamline the supply process,

enhance student experience, and promote academic success.