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Yawn-Activated Coffee Machine Gives Tired Travellers Some Java (Video)

WATCH: Tired Travellers Will Love This Machine

Travellers tired of paying for overpriced airport coffee may want to keep an eye out for Douwe Egberts' coffee machines the next time they're flying.

The red coffee dispensers are fairly unassuming and aren't much smaller than your average soda vending machine. But there's no need to carry around any pocket change or break a fresh bill because they only take one type of currency: yawns.

Yes, you read correctly: yawns.

The Dutch coffee company set up their machine at O.R. Tambo International Airport in South Africa where weary flyers were rewarded with a free cup of joe provided they figured out how the device worked. Those looking for a coin slot or buttons were shut out while those who yawned for the machine's facial recognition software to work its magic walked away with some coffee.

The machine uses cameras to map the typical facial expression of yawns and was part of an ad campaign by Joe Public, reports PSFK.com.

The machine doled out 210 cups during the day, though it's very possible it was just a handful of red-eyed travellers smart enough to make a repeated yawning face, notes Digital Trends.

This isn't the first time ad agencies have combined beverages, machines and thirsty travellers. Earlier this year, Rethink advertising agency and Molson Canadian planted three beer fridges in Canterbury, London, the White Cliffs of Dover, Cassel in northern France, Brussels, and somewhere in rural Belgium, according to Gizmag.com.

Much like Douwe Egberts' coffee machines, thirsty travellers couldn't open the fridge unless there was a Canadian nearby with their passport. Inserting a Canadian passport would trigger the fridge's webcam to snap a photo of the passport's crest and release the latch.

Now there's an idea Canadian globe-trotters can drink to.

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