To figure out who to charge, and how much, Amazon will
identify shoppers by scanning QR codes on their phones as they walk in, and use
sensors and computer vision technology to determine which items they take.
That might seem creepy, but it's not much
more intrusive than the closed-circuit TV monitoring many stores already have
in place to deter shoplifters, or the Bluetooth beacons others use to pitch
up-to-the-minute offers to visitors. Whether Amazon's system is sharp-eyed
enough to distinguish between a jar of strawberry jelly and a jar of raspberry
in the same way that a clerk with a regular barcode reader can distinguish
between codes 051500001639 and 051500022030 remains to be seen.
For now, only Amazon staff can shop at the
180-square-meter Go store, but early next year it will be ready to sell
ready-made snacks and staples such as bread and milk to anyone.
Payment is automatically deducted from the
associated credit card when a shopper leaves the store, and the receipt is sent
to the app.
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