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Futuristic shopping – Amazon Go!

Hey, did you hear about Amazon’s new futuristic shopping experience?

  • No, not Amazon Prime – though we do love getting our Prime boxes dropped off every other day or so!
  • Not Amazon Prime Now either – though that’s futuristic in its own way and my mom is worried this’ll turn us into “Wall-E” people.  ☺ Remember this?

 

Automated shopping with Amazon Go

As per Amazon’s website, “Amazon Go is a new kind of store with no checkout required. We created the world’s most advanced shopping technology so you never have to wait in line. With our Just Walk Out Shopping experience, simply use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products you want, and go! No lines, no checkout. (No, seriously.)

Our checkout-free shopping experience is made possible by the same types of technologies used in self-driving cars: computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning. Our Just Walk Out Technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in a virtual cart. When you’re done shopping, you can just leave the store. Shortly after, we’ll send you a receipt and charge your Amazon account.

Ummm….wow, right? Is this spooky for you? No, just me then?

So many, many, many questions

  • Computer vision, sensor vision – what does that mean, Amazon? Is Big Brother watching us? To be fair, I think they’re watching us everywhere, right? Aside: Yes, I know what 1984 by George Orwell is. I read the Cliff Notes version!  ☺ I have read Animal Farm by George Orwell though. It’s an amazing book but very unsettling. My brother had to read it in high school, and it’s a small book with a cute name and animals on the cover! I do recommend it, though.
  • How, Amazon dudes? No, really – that’s my question. How did you imagine this and build this, dudes at Amazon? How long did the planning take? How did you test this before opening it?
  • When can we see more stores? – When can we see one in Austin? When will we start seeing one on every street? Is that the plan? Can other stores copy this idea, or is this a patented idea?
  • Why the timings? Your website says “We’re open 7AM—9PM, Monday through Friday“. Why the timings? Is it because you’ll need staff to stock this and they only work during those times? Is it because it’s a prototype thing? I can imagine store like these being open 24/7/365 with people zooming in and out without lines or checkout. In their spacesuits. Now, that’s futuristic! Make it happen, Amazon!

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