Amazon Opens Automated Grocery Store – Amazon Go

Amazon.com Inc., the global ecommerce giant will launch the first of its kind supermarkets without checkouts, human or self service on Monday in Seattle. According to BBC, this revolutionary supermarket, Amazon Go, has been tested by Amazon staff for the past year.

Amazon Go store relies on cameras and sensors to track shoppers and maintain a list of what shoppers remove from the shelves and what they put back. Making cash registers and checkout lines superfluous, customers buying products from the Go store will be billed after leaving the store using credit cards on file.

A row of gates guards the entrance to the store and shoppers can only enter after they scan their Amazon Go app. The 1,800 square foot mini market is packed with shelves of food and will be open from 7 A.M. To 9 P.M. Monday to Friday. Speaking about the newest venture, the Vice President of Technology, Dilip Kumar said, “(the idea behind Amazon go is to) push the boundaries of computer vision and machine learning and to create an effortless experience for customers.”

According to Amazon, the technology used in the Amazon Go store is so accurate that the sensors can detect minute changes and distinguish between multiple people standing side by side at a shelf. The tracking is precise enough to detect which customer picked up a yogurt or a cupcake and track which customers are simply browsing. Technology website GeekWire reported, the system also knows when people pick up items and put them back in case customers simply wanted to read the label. While the company has remained tight lipped about the technology it’s using in its sensors and tracking devices, can see and identify every item in the store, without attaching a special chip to every item.

Amazon further added the technology will not replace employees but streamline the shopping process. Associates and employees will be put on different tasks including restocking shelves and helping customers troubleshoot any technical problems and help customers find items. According to people who have tested the store, Amazon sends an electronic receipt for purchases only a few minutes after walking out of the store. The Head of Amazon Go, Gianna Puerini, speaking about the technology said, “This technology didn’t exist, it was really advancing the state of the art of computer vision and machine learning.” The company has already released official Amazon Go apps on iOS and Android and customers can use their existing Amazon credentials to log in to the Amazon Go app.