Introducing Amazon Go

[Triloby]

Now I'm really curious. It's a neat system, but it does raise certain questions. Would this new system eliminate grocery baggers, cashiers, and even those self-checkout counters in its entirety? What if you want to pay in cash, and not have the bill charged to your CC or Amazon account?

Maybe they're stupid questions, but I still think it looks cool overall. Looks a lot more complicated and ambitious than both Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

 

[pete6032]

How does it detect when you pick up an item versus when someone next to you picks up the item? Do you have to use some kind of special bag?

 

[Newbian]

You would still need baggers or at least a place to bag your stuff as not everyone is going to go in such a place for 1-2 items.

Not to mention people would have to be at the entrance making sure people use the app and when people leave to verify they have the funds for the items they picked up.

 

[deadlyapp]

You would still need baggers or at least a place to bag your stuff as not everyone is going to go in such a place for 1-2 items.

Not to mention people would have to be at the entrance making sure people use the app and when people leave to verify they have the funds for the items they picked up.

Technology could solve at least your second note - you have to use your phone/NFC to enter and exit, with limitation to people entering (eg a rotating door, optical sensor, etc). Would be tricky but very possible.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I imagine only certain stores would even support this. Though it does open the door to other stores to do this too assuming it does not get patented.

Only thing, how does it know what you bought? I would have figured you'd have to scan the items with your phone or something. If it's proximity then that opens up to a lot of interesting hacks... lol

Still a neat idea though. What's scary is when you consider the amount of things that could be automated with today's technology. The only reason most people are employed is because the companies have inefficiencies in place that they did not get around to changing yet.

 

[Aikouka]

What happens if you hand a food item to someone else? Does it leave your virtual cart?

 

[Sonikku]

Going to be some interesting times ahead when all but the most specially trained people in the work force are necessary to operate the economy.

 

[PricklyPete]

Looks promising

 

[Exterous]

I think it would be a little amusing if Amazon became a big b&m presence

 

[Imp]

Going to be some interesting times ahead when all but the most specially trained people in the work force are necessary to operate the economy.

I wouldn't worry. It's not like we standardize technologies. We'll all be making alternative iPhones, Windows, and USB ports.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I wouldn't worry. It's not like we standardize technologies. We'll all be making alternative iPhones, Windows, and USB ports.

Too bad IP laws basically stop people from doing that. Patents, trademarks etc... The whole system is designed to stop startups and make sure the money stays in corporations' pockets. Capitalism.

 

[Painman]

Big Brother presented with a smiley emoji face/undermine living minimum wage movements.

China already manipulates your credit rating based upon your purchasing habits...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-34592186

Coming to a "democracy" near you.

 

[BoomerD]

nm

 

[Mai72]

This is amazing and a bit scary. Driverless trucks, no cashiers, etc... There are going to be a lot of people looking for work.

 

[Painman]

There are going to be a lot of people looking for work.

That's how ISIS got formed...

 

[clamum]

Now I'm really curious. It's a neat system, but it does raise certain questions. Would this new system eliminate grocery baggers, cashiers, and even those self-checkout counters in its entirety? What if you want to pay in cash, and not have the bill charged to your CC or Amazon account?

Maybe they're stupid questions, but I still think it looks cool overall. Looks a lot more complicated and ambitious than both Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

Seems like it would eliminate baggers/cashiers/self-checkout. You can't pay in cash if you wanna use the Go store.

How does it detect when you pick up an item versus when someone next to you picks up the item? Do you have to use some kind of special bag?

That's what I'm working. Apparently you don't need a special bag but I'm curious how they handle the detection of items, because they sure aren't letting on to how it's done besides DEEP LEARNING ALGORITHMS. Maybe it's something in the packaging, or attached to the packaging, of every item? When you walk out it's all scanned and tallied?

You would still need baggers or at least a place to bag your stuff as not everyone is going to go in such a place for 1-2 items.

Not to mention people would have to be at the entrance making sure people use the app and when people leave to verify they have the funds for the items they picked up.

You wouldn't need baggers and they don't have baggers. If you need someone to bag your stuff, go to a store that has them. Aldi stores, for example, don't have baggers.

 

[gorcorps]

Sam's Club has an app where you scan everything as you put it in your cart, then checkout through the app and not have to wait in a line. It's awesome

 

[Kaido]

Sam's Club has an app where you scan everything as you put it in your cart, then checkout through the app and not have to wait in a line. It's awesome

Yeah, my local grocery store (Stop & Shop, northeast chain) has a scanner wand (they also have Android & iPhone apps) you carry around & scan stuff that you put in your BYO re-usable grocery bags. Then you go to self-checkout, scan the "end of shopping trip" barcode, pay, and leave. There's only a couple things they don't let you buy using self-checkout (like gift cards).

https://stopandshop.com/shopping/shopping-tools/scanit/

 

[pete6032]

That's what I'm working. Apparently you don't need a special bag but I'm curious how they handle the detection of items, because they sure aren't letting on to how it's done besides DEEP LEARNING ALGORITHMS. Maybe it's something in the packaging, or attached to the packaging, of every item? When you walk out it's all scanned and tallied?

It must also be based on surveilance cameras in the store. I don't know of any mobile phone implemented technology that could be discrete enough to distinguish between two people standing right next to each other but only one of them picks up the item.

 

[deadlyapp]

It must also be based on surveilance cameras in the store. I don't know of any mobile phone implemented technology that could be discrete enough to distinguish between two people standing right next to each other but only one of them picks up the item.

I'm assuming they use multiple sensors at once to combine. Proximity on the shelf, optical to confirm, RFID for precise location, GPS/location fence to confirm. Perhaps they'll ultimately require special bags that are identified to Amazon profiles. The patent information that Amazon has filed gives some hints but a lot could have changed in implementation.

I find it kind of interesting that they're using previous purchasing habits to try to determine things though. The example of "you usually buy ketchup, so you probably didn't take the mustard" seems a bit crazy. There are plenty of times I go grocery shopping for odd things that I don't usually purchase due to a specific recipe.

 

[Kaido]

It must also be based on surveilance cameras in the store. I don't know of any mobile phone implemented technology that could be discrete enough to distinguish between two people standing right next to each other but only one of them picks up the item.

In-store surveillance is nuts. Read through my posts in this thread from 2-3 years ago:

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...-the-cookie-aisle-of-the-supermarket.2347978/

Now they have stuff like FaceFirst that can recognize faces & identify shoplifters:

http://fortune.com/2015/11/09/wal-mart-facial-recognition/

Heatmapping is pretty big these days:

http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/29/technology/prism-technology-shopping/

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-retailers-track-shoppers-in-heat-maps-2014-1

http://www.businessinsider.com/eye-tracking-heatmaps-2014-7

Camera tech is getting pretty tricky:

https://prism.com/retail

http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/325181/Prism_CustomerJourneyWhitepaper.pdf

tinfoil_hat.exe

 

[John Connor]

No lines, no checkout, no registers and high prices. Got a coupon? Fuck you.

Home delivery is where it's at. Fire up the App and order away like OrderUp.

Fat and lazy is the future!

 

[Mai72]

 

[Kaido]

No lines, no checkout, no registers and high prices. Got a coupon? Fuck you.

Home delivery is where it's at. Fire up the App and order away like OrderUp.

Fat and lazy is the future!

My local grocery's store app & scanner wand lets you do the coupons digitally, fwiw. And I'd imagine the prices would be pretty low since they're not paying many humans to be there...maybe just a stock guy, a janitor, and a security guy.

 

[mxnerd]

I wonder whether Trump can ask Amazon not to open these jobs killing stores.