How AI powers Self-Checkout for Retail
Shoppers have been known to abandon their shopping carts seeing the long queues at the counters. In spite of the amazing strides the retail industry has seen, what customers’ want is freedom from the endless lines at the checkout counters for a seamless shopping experience.
Checkout-free technology has brought a new experience to the retail environment. The automated system recognizes products and bills the customer accordingly. This means less waiting time for the shopper and quicker service as compared to conventional shopping checkout lanes.
Using AI-powered cameras and software, computer vision is changing the way people interact with the physical world. Computer vision and AI are ultimately going to have an impact that goes far beyond retail autonomous driving, manufacturing, offices, and gyms to fundamentally alter and better the way we live.
What is Autonomous Checkout?
The system is making use of a combination of computer vision, affordable ceiling-based cameras and precise in-store navigation maps to detect the actions performed by each customer entered.
Customers can have their faces scanned by facial recognition software before entering the store or are required to swipe a card before entering. By understanding the interactions of customers and seeing the movement of products it is enabling a checkout-less experience. Whether in retail locations or worksites, users can grab a selection of items and walk away, while the system takes care of recording the transaction.
Using auto-checkouts in stores is a win-win strategy for both customers and retailers. More staff can be employed to help customers shop, rather than spending the company’s resources on cashiers’ manual labor. A frictionless shopping experience is a driving factor for retailers to strive for cashier-less stores.
How it Works
Session Start
Shopping sessions can start in a variety of ways depending on retailer’s preference. In a standard set up, customers initiate a transaction at an entry gate using a personal QR code from an app. Facial recognition can also be used for identification. Other setups can be configured without an entry gate or even without an app.
Customer Detected
Upon entering the store, strategically placed cameras capture the scene. Deep learning models running on local servers to detect humans in these video feeds.
Anonymous Tracking
When a shopping session is started, customers are assigned a random ID. A central server uses this to track each shopper throughout the store as they pass through from camera to camera.
Product Selection
Using deep learning models trained on product and positioning data from Product Mapper software, the system determines when customers interact with products & whether to add or subtract that item from their cart.
Check-Out
Upon leaving the store customers are charged via their digital wallet, receiving a receipt via email or text. In other configurations, a POS kiosk may auto-populate the customer’s cart for checkout, allowing use of conventional payment methods such as cash, credit, etc.
Conclusion
The disruptive potential of AI-powered checkout systems is here for the brick-and-mortar stores to adapt to this new shopping experience. Fewer cashiers, reduced checkout lines, and reinvented shopping carts will redefine the customer experience. Amplified by machine learning, image recognition, sensors and deep learning algorithms, frictionless checkout systems are a long-lasting technology. Autonomous checkout technology will reduce labor costs, improve customer experience and improve profit margins for retailers.
Clearly, there is a need for autonomous checkout technology from both a shopper and retailer perspective. However, the major point of focus for retailers should always be the customer’s in-store experience and how they can enhance this through the implementation of autonomous checkout. By being able to improve this experience, shoppers will in turn value those brands that are taking extra steps to put the shopper’s needs first.