Amazon Go • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Go

#171

Post by DashRattlesnake » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:08 PM UTC

kirykl wrote: post #87

elicash wrote: post #43

I worked at a grocery store for several years, and one thing I recall is customers CONSTANTLY putting items back in a random aisle, rather than where they found it. I wonder how this tech deals with that? Maybe they figured that out, too. But I was amused in the video when I saw the customer putting it back where it belonged, because that's not how I remember that going... All that said, this is fantastic and excitin…

Avoiding getting charged is an incentive to put it back in the right place that doesn't exist currently. Maybe not even where you picked up just a discard area

Honestly, that's an "incentive" that should be illegal. You should only get charged for something if you actually take it home or use it. Anything else is a cop out to push the costs of a deficient system onto the user/customer.

Re: Amazon Go

#172

Post by stevenmays » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:08 PM UTC

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #74

elicash wrote: post #43

I worked at a grocery store for several years, and one thing I recall is customers CONSTANTLY putting items back in a random aisle, rather than where they found it. I wonder how this tech deals with that? Maybe they figured that out, too. But I was amused in the video when I saw the customer putting it back where it belonged, because that's not how I remember that going... All that said, this is fantastic and excitin…

I really wouldn't trust 'picked up off the shelf' detection, not without the whole thing looking like a giant vending machine. RFID tags on products probably works better.

I think RFID tags are too expensive to put on every product. I may be wrong on this.

Re: Amazon Go

#173

Post by bjornlouser » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:09 PM UTC

Merad wrote: post #86

I hate it when companies offer a "how this works" section that doesn't actually tell you a damned thing about how it works. * How does my Amazon account get associated with the items I take? * How are items detected when leaving the store? If my friend and I walk out side by side, how does it know (if it does) which items are mine and which are hers? * What happens when someone picks up an item and leaves without fir…

Sensor Fusion. Duh.

Re: Amazon Go

#174

Post by protomyth » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:09 PM UTC

mabbo wrote: post #161

gech wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just a starter job, people shouldn't rely on them as a career, it's their fault, bootstraps, etc. etc.

For the large percentage of Americans who don't have a degree or maybe not even a high school diploma, there is no such thing as a 'starter job'- there's just 'a job'. Heck, for a growing proportion of the population the degree doesn't even help. We in the tech industry would be wise to remember that we live in an incredibly privileged bubble where careers are real things, where it's easy to find new opportunities.

Actually, there are starter jobs for folks without degrees or even a high school diploma. People gain experience and there are plenty of companies that don't hire via a HR checklist. Plenty of people work their way up from cashier to management.

The big danger is external factors that remove those first rungs of work that allow people to climb up.

Re: Amazon Go

#175

Post by masthead » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:09 PM UTC

If there's an Amazon employee who has visited the store, please tell us the experience.

Re: Amazon Go

#176

Post by pitaa » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:10 PM UTC

mdorazio wrote: post #14

MatekCopatek wrote: post #5

When I started reading the description, I thought: "someone finally delivered on that RFID pitch of just walking out of the store". Was surprised that it's actually computer vision.

Same. I remember predictions of RFID-based shopping becoming the norm 10 years ago, but it never happened. Does anyone know why the tech didn't pan out that way?

I know the standard already exists (It's called EPC), and it is actually used a bit. I recall last time I bought socks at Walmart, there was actually an RFID tag inside the label. I believe they're used a bit more in the supply chain, but AFAIK no retailer actually uses them at the point of sale yet.

One reason I think the retailers took a step back from EPC was the general fear mongering and misinformation. In addition to the crazies calling them out as "the mark of the beast", there were numerous reports in the media about how walmart was going to start "putting computer tracking chips in all the pants they sold so they could track you wherever you went." I'm pretty sure they were also supposed to give you cancer and kill baby seals, too!

Re: Amazon Go

#177

Post by maxsilver » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:10 PM UTC

jtcond13 wrote: post #100

Your periodic reminder that 'retail salesperson' is the most common job in America (~4.5 million). http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/04/the-10-m...

"If you are Amazon, you have to acknowledge that you are slowly corroding the retail sector, which employs many (~4.5 million) people in this country."

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/silicon-valley-ha...

Re: Amazon Go

#178

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:10 PM UTC

jasonkostempski wrote: post #122

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wouldn't trust 'picked up off the shelf' detection, not without the whole thing looking like a giant vending machine. RFID tags on products probably works better.

"Spend $99 or more and get a cancer absolutely FREE!"

[deleted]

Re: Amazon Go

#179

Post by neves » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:11 PM UTC

elicash wrote: post #43

I worked at a grocery store for several years, and one thing I recall is customers CONSTANTLY putting items back in a random aisle, rather than where they found it. I wonder how this tech deals with that? Maybe they figured that out, too. But I was amused in the video when I saw the customer putting it back where it belonged, because that's not how I remember that going... All that said, this is fantastic and excitin…

The big store chains nowadays doesn't even have someone to put products in their place. Their product provider personal that put the product in the correct place. Now they will have a way to make their own customers to work for them. This is a store owner dream.

Re: Amazon Go

#180

Post by pbz » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 4:11 PM UTC

kirykl wrote: post #87

elicash wrote: post #43

I worked at a grocery store for several years, and one thing I recall is customers CONSTANTLY putting items back in a random aisle, rather than where they found it. I wonder how this tech deals with that? Maybe they figured that out, too. But I was amused in the video when I saw the customer putting it back where it belonged, because that's not how I remember that going... All that said, this is fantastic and excitin…

Avoiding getting charged is an incentive to put it back in the right place that doesn't exist currently. Maybe not even where you picked up just a discard area

If that happens the customer would just complain and in time we'd lose the trust in the store. So, no, the incentive is most definitely on Amazon to get it right. If they don't, they won't last long. Just imagine news stories with people that later noticed that they "purchased" items that they didn't leave the store with. It would be a huge mess.