In a move that could revolutionise the way we buy groceries, Amazon opens its first supermarket without checkouts - human or self-service - to shoppers on Monday. Amazon Go, in Seattle, has been tested by staff for the past year.
It uses an array of ceiling-mounted cameras to identify each customer and track what items they select, eliminating the need for billing. Purchases are billed to customers' credit cards when they leave the store. Before entering, shoppers must scan the Amazon Go smartphone app. Sensors on the shelves add items to the bill as customers pick them up - and deletes any they put back.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42769096
And what if you go into the store with a bottle of water that you already paid for. Are the computers smart enough to NOT charge you twice??? I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteWell, the article says that sensors on the shelf help the system know when you've taken a product:
ReplyDelete"With the help of sensors on the shelves, items are added to customers' Amazon Go account as they pick them up - and delete any they put back. An electronic receipt is issued as they exit."
If that's true, I can't see how it would add the bottle to your Go account if you don't pick it up off the shelf. But really, it's pure speculation since they don't explain exactly how the system works.