AI powered shopping trolleys automatically charge customers

New Zealand supermarket uses smart trolleys to recognize products and automatically charge customers.

Self-scanners and self-service checkouts in supermarkets are becoming increasingly popular. Companies are constantly looking for new innovative ways to make the consumer’s experience easier and faster. Last year we saw the invention of smart shopping bags in the United States, which allows consumers to scan and purchase items as they go around the supermarket, not needing to queue and pay at the end. Another invention is the autonomous grocery store, in the form of self-driving vehicles which brings food directly to the customer’s house. The artificial intelligence company IMAGR has gone one step further. Consumers can now shop without needing to go to the checkout, scan barcodes or queue.

The SMARTCART uses computer vision technology in order to recognize products as they are placed inside the basket. Consumers then pay for the products automatically, using the mobile application, in which they must link their payment details to. Upon entering the store, customers pair their smartphone to a SMARTCART using a QR code. When an item is added to their basket it will automatically appear in their mobile phone’s virtual basket. The innovation combines artificial intelligence and computer vision in order to facilitate grocery shopping. Upon completing their shop, clients can simply wheel their trolley out of the store and be automatically charged for their items. The SMARTCART was launched in the Auckland branch of the New Zealand store Foodstuffs earlier this month and is said be able to help the store with inventory management, cost reduction and analytics.

How else could consumers’ shopping experience be made easier and more agreeable using advanced technology?