Best Inventions of 2002

Inventor: Automated Distribution Technologies, Inc.

What's 18 ft. wide, fully automated and open 24 hours a day? Despite its name (which already seems a little out of date), the Shop 2000 is the cutting edge of robotic retail: a vending machine with the inventory of a minimart. The coin- and credit-card-operated vendor carries up to 200 items, from olive oil to computer discs to sandwiches to toothpaste (storing the perishables at a frosty 35 degrees F). There's no smile with your service, but you do get the fun of watching a robotic arm grab your purchase. With convenience stores reporting a shortage of labor, don't be surprised if one opens on your block sometime soon.

Availability: So far, only one in the U.S., in Washington
To Learn More: shop2000online.com