Wal-Mart's Robot Shopping Carts Are Coming for Us All

[JAMMY]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/Wal-Marts-Robot-Shopping-Carts-Are-Coming-For-Us-All-393497401.html

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The patent included drawings of what they might look like, but noted that some elements were simplified and exaggerated for clarity

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Wal-Mart customers will be able to use a handheld device to summon an empty cart and have it whisked their way via "motorized transport unit," according to Wal-Mart's patent, granted last week. The customer's location is determined by optical sensors in the device which will receive information from smart LEDs in the store, NBC News reported.

The system's "central control circuit" will also track shopping cart idle times to see which ones are not being used and implement image sensors to make sure they're empty.

And the carts will even be able to return themselves.
Source: Wal-Mart's Robot Shopping Carts Are Coming for Us All | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/Wal-Marts-Robot-Shopping-Carts-Are-Coming-For-Us-All-393497401.html#ixzz4KK8Vt6aC
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Shopping at Wal-Mart is about to get less human. Enter the shopping cart bots.

 

A drawing from Wal-Mart's granted patent for a system of automated shopping carts. US Patent Office

Customers will be able to use a handheld device to summon an empty cart and have it whisked their way via "motorized transport unit," according to Wal-Mart's patent, granted last week. The customer's location is determined by optical sensors in the device which will receive information from smart LEDs in the store.

The system's "central control circuit" will also track shopping cart idle times to see which ones are not being used and implement image sensors to make sure they're empty.

And the carts will even be able to return themselves.

The patent included the above drawings of what they might look like, but noted that some elements were simplified and exaggerated for clarity.

Wal-Mart "want to be able to serve customers when and how they want to shop," Walmart spokesperson Lorenzo Lopez told Business Insider.