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Amazon Go

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Re: Amazon Go

#791

Post by Nition »

BurningFrog wrote: post #691
Nacraile wrote: post #474

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your situation in Barcelona sounds nice and all, but it is does not describe the typical American's grocery experience at all, and therefore does not really apply to what Amazon is doing in downtown Seattle. The typical grocery store here (i.e. what Go is actually going after) is basically a warehouse, with checkout lanes staffed by apathetic teenagers. The process is already almost entirely devoid of meaningful huma…

If Amazon Go can save me from participating in the scripted conversations the cashier must initiate to keep her job, it's already paid for itself.

Amazon can puch those through the app instead. Hey, you don't even have to be at the store!

Re: Amazon Go

#792

Post by n0b0dythere »

vlunkr wrote: post #430

As someone who regularly takes kids to the grocery store, this would be a nightmare. You'd get charged for every random thing your kid decided to pull off a shelf and stuff somewhere else. Unless their AI ignores kids or something.

So basically you're saying that you let your kids run rampant through stores, pulling items off shelves and placing them randomly around instead of back where it should be on the shelf.

So your bad parenting and bad kid behaviors will suddenly be a nightmare for you, since you'll be charged for this misconduct instead of simply ignoring it like before?

Sounds like a win for everybody, except the problem maker.

Re: Amazon Go

#793

Post by mrcabada »

delegate wrote: post #387

Look, I know this might not be a popular view here on HN, but I think this is useless. And bad. I'm not talking about the technology behind it (I think it's an amazing achievement).. I live in Barcelona and I have at least 5 medium-sized supermarkets within 5 minutes walking distance from my home. Plus there are several smaller shops that sell fruits and vegetables. I know all the people who work in these supermarket…

Something that I've learned is that technology will change everything. If we would've put excuses to all technology that is here today, we'd still be living 30 years in average. We are evolving, and so is the way of living and the definition of humanity.

Generations that are being born today won't see a supermarket as a social place at all, and those are the generations that will be accepting and shaping how humanity interacts, so you better adapt to their "normal" life.

Re: Amazon Go

#794

Post by monkeynotes »

crazypyro wrote: post #429
delegate wrote: post #387

Look, I know this might not be a popular view here on HN, but I think this is useless. And bad. I'm not talking about the technology behind it (I think it's an amazing achievement).. I live in Barcelona and I have at least 5 medium-sized supermarkets within 5 minutes walking distance from my home. Plus there are several smaller shops that sell fruits and vegetables. I know all the people who work in these supermarket…

Trying to save jobs that are no longer the most efficient way of solving a problem is not the way to promote the value of humanity, in my opinion. People want groceries as cheap and fast as possible. They don't go to the grocery store for social interaction and forcing the majority of people to pay extra for something that only the minority get value out of is not a competitive strategy. If humanity were to take your…

What in your mind is 'the value of humanity'? If the ideal of humanity is to solve all problems, reach maximum efficiency, and eliminate all competition then we're probably going to design ourselves out of the system eventually.

People are inefficient sacks of meat with finite potential. When we have designed a black box that solves all problems, answers all answerable questions, maximizing all efficiencies for us, and protects us from any possible threat, what do we do next? What is left?

The value of humanity isn't a universal purpose, that's just how we fool ourselves into believing that there is a point to our lives. That's how we reason about pain, suffering, and hardship.

Human existence, our experience is existentially pointless. It is down to the individual to create a purpose. Perhaps you view the purpose as being something tangible and 'out there' to be had. Others see the purpose as simply just being, enjoying the small things, finding pleasure in the pointlessness.

No one can say what the value for another is. There is ultimately no value except that in which you find in yourself.

So let's not kid ourselves that we as a race are working toward some kind of ultimate design because that design is in our minds only and as such can't be 'ultimate' or significant to the 'other' in any way. Indeed it is likely to be a folly of our mind, a foolish solution to the non-problem of being.

Re: Amazon Go

#795

Post by TeMPOraL »

bjornlouser wrote: post #173
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.

> Sensor Fusion

I wonder, when did the obvious way you use sensors become a buzzword?

Re: Amazon Go

#796

Post by nawitus »

spyckie2 wrote: post #700

Here's my speculation on the technology behind it: Tracking. A lot of tracking. You don't need deep learning and car sensor technology to do simple rfid tag pick up/drop offs to detect what you have in your cart. No, this technology probably fully tracking your every movement in the store. It may use rfid tags to detect what you have, but that is not the main tech. When you walk in and scan your phone, a camera array…

Here's my rough sketch on how this could work:

a) You track every person from multiple camera angles, it should be "relatively easy" to track the position of every customer at all times. I'm not sure if it can handle people in very close proximity (or e.g. after hugging in store) - maybe Amazon actually uses facial recognition to resolve the identities afterwards

b) Only one person can enter the gate at once, and it's easy to authenticate the person at the starting point

c) Leaving is also a one-way gate, and at that point the system can simply mark the shopping as complete and mail the receipt

d) The shelves are specially designed and can sense (maybe with RFIDs) when an item is removed from the shelf, and match that with the person closest to the item. A possible difficulty is handling people who take an item from the back of the shelf (e.g. to get a fresh item).

Re: Amazon Go

#797

Post by ttcbj »

delegate wrote: post #387

Look, I know this might not be a popular view here on HN, but I think this is useless. And bad. I'm not talking about the technology behind it (I think it's an amazing achievement).. I live in Barcelona and I have at least 5 medium-sized supermarkets within 5 minutes walking distance from my home. Plus there are several smaller shops that sell fruits and vegetables. I know all the people who work in these supermarket…

FWIW, we have both automated and machine-based checkout at our grocery store, and I choose the machine-based when I can because its faster, and I usually have a wife and kids waiting at home.

So, sometimes the more automated option is also the option that involves more net 'humanity' for me (or at least more time for close/meaningful human relationships).

For me, this retail model would be attractive.

Separately, I agree that automation may be displacing people who need assistance as a result, but I think the best way to address that is to offer government assistance, not to avoid the valuable automation.

Re: Amazon Go

#798

Post by hackermailman »

julianozen wrote: post #760
hackermailman wrote: post #540

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens if somebody compromises Amazon accounts by the hundreds and hires a shoplifting crew to clean out that store everyday, selling the goods for 1/2 price on the black market. Retail organized theft is already a major problem here and this is with stores that have F/T security. There is no shortage of drug addicts willing to jack items for $0.10 per $1 retail value, the goods are then exported and sold in Ch…

This is a strategy you could only accomplish a single time. The losses would be on the order of $10,000 for food only currently on display. you probably wouldnt be able to sell your stock before it expired. and the whole thing would be recorded on camera. not to mention you'd be arrested for hacking

I assume they will sell non perishable items at some point when this becomes public. I bet there will be security at the doors verifying purchases after the first couple of weeks:

http://www.inews880.com/syn/112/172511/mom-and-pop-bust-reco...

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/17/bc-man-arrest...

Re: Amazon Go

#799

Post by Skunkleton »

deelowe wrote: post #210
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.

This isn't a solution. It doesn't matter who's "fault" it is. If 4.5M people lose their jobs very quickly, we're going to have a big freaking problem on our hands. Retail, fast food, stock pickers, truck drivers, etc.. etc.. Sure you could say "don't make menial jobs your career" all you want, but this is still going to be a huge freaking issue sooner than later. This is from just last week: https://www.ft.com/conten…

We should go bravely into the future, and solve problems as they arise. Maybe this is the catalyst for basic income?

Re: Amazon Go

#800

Post by gotrecruit »

chronic92 wrote: post #774
throwaway98237 wrote: post #768

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"They don't go to the grocery store for social interaction..." False. Sometime I go to the grocery store for social interaction. You know, to get out. I generally go to a particular wine shop cause I like chatting with the guy at the counter. The idea that we do all this "stuff" ("processes") to get "stuff" done, and then separately we go somewhere for the express and sole purpose of socializing, is just clearly wron…

You're going to back up your claim with anecdotal evidence? The overwhelming majority of people do not go to the grocery store as a social exercise. People view it as a chore. They want to get in and out as soon as possible.

i have to agree. i hate any level of socializing at the supermarket - i'm there to get what i need and be gone. i don't mind running into friends i like, but i really get annoyed running into casual acquaintances due to the social niceties.
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