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Amazon Go

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Re: Amazon Go

#271

Post by mxfh »

mulletboy wrote: post #151
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 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. If the incentive is reducing the chances of being charged by the system for an item they didn't buy, you bet people will put stuff back where they found it.

If they were trained on normal shopper, how long does it take for the first exploits to appear, like some ML-equivalent of tag switching.

Like I heard from HEB Central Market employee, that they had a hard time with their bulk self-portion coffee beans, where the price range is quite large yet the beans look pretty identical.

Like most bigger shops, I think amazon will just tolerate the loss without enforcing it too much, if it stays manageable and under enforcement costs, which includes a too negative impact on the general shopping experience.

Re: Amazon Go

#272

Post by ccostes »

wehadfun wrote: post #217
excalibur wrote: post #91

What happens when you don't have enough money available to Amazon to cover all the things you grabbed? Do they give you a window to return items before banning you from the store and/or notifying police?

Wonddered the same thing. Also what if you dont want your purchases to end up in the cloud. Can you still pay with cash?

Considering there are no cashiers or checkout counters, cash seems like a no-go.

Re: Amazon Go

#273

Post by jonknee »

elicash wrote: post #182
mulletboy wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. If the incentive is reducing the chances of being charged by the system for an item they didn't buy, you bet people will put stuff back where they found it.

True. And maybe they also figured out a technical solution, too. If not, I'm sure they will eventually. But I'd also have been more impressed with the video if they showed stressed-out parents with crying kids and their hands full as they've got their cell phones tucked between their heads and shoulders, rather than young people quietly grabbing a single item and leaving. This can actually HELP with those problems be…

> But I'd also have been more impressed with the video if they showed stressed-out parents with crying kids and their hands full as they've got their cell phones tucked between their heads and shoulders, rather than young people quietly grabbing a single item and leaving.

It's an 1,800 square foot convenience store in a yuppie area stocked with what appears Whole Foods like take and go food, not a Wal Mart Supercenter. It will be quite a bit different if they open a large store out in the suburbs.

Re: Amazon Go

#274

Post by jonknee »

stevenmays wrote: post #172
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.

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

Also never underestimate Jeff Bezos' willingness to lose money in the short term.

Re: Amazon Go

#275

Post by anonbanker »

Thank you for this idea. I will be doing this every time I set foot in a wal-mart from this day forward.

"Two pounds of ham, please. Can you slice it really thin? I have a date with the household appliance section of the store"

Re: Amazon Go

#276

Post by jonknee »

rhino369 wrote: post #249
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…

This made me think of a possible exploit. If these sensors are using weight sensors and cameras, it might be possible to pick up similar items and then put back the much cheaper version.

Or just go to literally any other store and you won't have to defeat sophisticated algorithms to shop lift.

Re: Amazon Go

#277

Post by Karunamon »

monsieurbanana wrote: post #245
Karunamon wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the store's fault when you selfishly and silently put perishable goods in non-refrigerated areas so they can spoil? IMO the store would have the right to charge you with destruction of property, if not the cost of the goods they're now out entirely due to your actions. The number of people that never learned "put stuff back where you got it" from their parents is astounding.

> It's the store's fault when you selfishly and silently put perishable goods in non-refrigerated areas so they can spoil? I find it really annoying when people put words into somebody's mouth. Misplaced perishable goods are certainly a problem, but not the one they're discussing right now.

We are talking about people misplacing goods in a store, are we not?

Perishable goods are a subclass of goods in a store, are they not?

Re: Amazon Go

#278

Post by softbuilder »

blackaspen wrote: post #27

Here's an ad from IBM circa 2006 predicting(?) this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eob532iEpqk Crazy to think we're actually here now. And even sans-RFID.

It's actually from the 90s [1]. So much so that I thought it was one of the AT&T "You Will" commercials [2].

[1] http://digest.dx3canada.com/2015/05/12/retrofuture-ibms-1999...

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2EgfkhC1eo

Re: Amazon Go

#279

Post by gohrt »

Shanea93 wrote: post #228
JackFr wrote: post #128

What do you do with your children? What about your non-Amazon co workers who came out with you to get lunch? Do they stand on the sidewalk while you shop? Do you swipe them in? Do they get swiped in as guests (who then shoplift cupcakes?) Don't get me wrong -- this is exciting and impressive -- but needing to swipe in to enter a store is, I think, a very significant change to how we think of stores as public places.

> but needing to swipe in to enter a store is, I think, a very significant change to how we think of stores as public places. CostCo rule #6: Your membership card must be shown on entering the warehouse and at the tills. I don't think it's really that much of a change, this is already par for the course when it comes to bulk-purchase stores. Another one of CostCo's rules: > Parents are responsible for their children.…

it's unclear how the act of purchasing a product works -- it might require the buyers phone to be near the item when it leaves the shelf

Re: Amazon Go

#280

Post by kalmi10 »

_gfrc wrote: post #33
mdorazio wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

RFID tags are still to expensive in the supermarket context. The margins are usually razor thin (at least in Germany) and the products are quite cheap. Even when buying RFID tags in bulk they are too expensive.

Disclaimer: I am more or less pulling this numbers out of thin air.

Assume that having a single cashier costs $15 per hour. Assume that an RFID tag costs $0.05. Assume that in average a cashier handles 1 item for only 5 seconds (including payment).

That means that a cashier can handle 720 items per hour, and that costs the supermarket $15. Having RFID tags for 720 items would cost $36. That's still a ~$20 dollar difference, which still amounts to ~$0.028 per item.

I would be willing to pay that if that means i can forgo the checkout lines.

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