AMAZON GO

Love shopping but hate waiting in checkout lines? Amazon Go to the rescue...

What if you could shop to your heart’s content without worrying about those pesky little checkout lines? Think if this could be possible that we push the boundaries of computer vision and also machine learning to create a store where customers could simply take what they want and go without checkout worries? The answer to all these questions is Amazon Go.

Amazon says all you need is their app to enter the store and start shopping, or rather, that’s what you will need when Amazon decides to open the store up to civilians as currently, and Amazon Go is available only to Amazon employees.

Amazon Go is a kind of store where no checkout is required. It will be the advanced shopping technology so that customer will never wait in queue. For Just Walk Out shopping, all you need is an Amazon account, a supported smartphone, and the free Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products you want, and Go! 

The Tech Behind It-

The technology in the Amazon Go is supported by a complex system of computer vision, deep machine learning and sensor fusion that works seamlessly to keep communications running between the physical store, the customer’s smartphone and the Amazon Go app. When a customer arrives at the store, they can just scan their smartphone and shopping begins. Digital images of the stock, Just Walk Out technology and multiple sensors are used to detect the item being purchased. If there is any confusion, the deep machine learning aspect of the system kicks in, looking at previous purchases to ascertain which item it is most likely to be. This data is then registered with the customer’s Amazon account and a receipt is sent directly to their smartphone upon leaving the store. The artificial intelligence system comes together to create a retail experience with the convenience of online shopping and the control of walking into a traditional brick-and-mortar store.

Amazon Go potentially handle millions of transactions per day, and this includes the personal data of each individual customer that walks through their doors. This emphasizes the need for a connectivity solution that is robust, secure and most likely cloud-connected.

Amazon Go certainly has potential. Its competitive edge is “self-checkout”. A lot of easy gains come by, just by bringing self-checkout systems into supermarkets:

• No manual checkout.
• Reduced checkout staffing needs.
• Space needed by checkout counters reallocated to store goods.
• Ease & speed of transaction.
• Improved customer satisfaction.
• Enhanced customer retention.

Many analysts feel that the grocery industry is ripe for change. Customer’s habits have change dramatically over time and supermarket chains haven’t necessarily kept up. Automation of the customer experience and a friction free shopping experience could bring a true sea change in the industry.

About Author:

Ayushi Guda is a consultant in Systems Plus Pvt. Ltd. Within Systems Plus, she actively contributes to the areas of Technology and Information Security. She can be contacted at: Ayushi.Guda@spluspl.com