An Automated Charging Machine (ACM) is an electronic machine that provides the public with the ability to recharge a
mobile device
A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physica ...
, often for a small fee. Similar to
vending machine
A vending machine is an automated machine that provides 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. The fir ...
s, ACMs take cash, then charge the connected devices, which may be
cell phones,
PDAs, or other handheld devices. Usually, these machines charge much faster than normal chargers would charge them; some provide a charge in as little as 10 minutes.
History
Public charging stations for mobile devices appeared around 2006. A variety of features have been introduced to these machines, including lockers, UV sanitation, and wirelessly updated advertising space. Since the introduction of the idea, an increasing number of companies are looking toward ACMs for vending and advertising revenue.
Locations
ACMs are generally deployed in areas with a high amount of foot traffic, similar to vending machines and
ATMs. These places include
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
s,
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
s,
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
s,
club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises ...
s,
supermarkets,
campuses, and other popular locations. Though is it unknown how many ACMs are in use around the world, they can be found in a variety of countries including the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Mobile Marketer
/ref> England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, and China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
See also
* Chargebox
* Charging station
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Automated Charging Machine
Vending machines
Charging stations