Go, go, grocery for Amazon
On Monday, Amazon announced the arrival of a new futuristic grocery store named Amazon Go. The store uses high tech sensors and artificial intelligence to create a cashier free experience. Customers are able to pick up the products they need and simply walk out of the store. Using the aptly named ‘Just Walk Out’ technology, products are added to a virtual cart after scanning your mobile phone upon entry. The customers’ Amazon accounts are charged when they leave the store, and they are emailed their receipts. This improves efficiency in shopping, eliminating long checkout lines. It also saves a lot of money on labor costs through the elimination of cashiers.
Amazon has been researching and developing its idea for 4 years and has finally unveiled it to the press. At the moment, the store, which is based in Seattle, is only open to employees of Amazon but will be open to the public in early 2017. The company’s plan is to open more than 2,000 brick-and-mortar grocery stores. The shop will at first offer ready-made meals made in-house by chefs or local suppliers, but will expand further to offer more general commodities.
Read more on Amazon Go and watch the video here.
Ohio’s clever corridor
Starting in May, a Smart Mobility Corridor will be constructed in Ohio, with 35 miles of route U.S. 33 being used. The installation of highway technology features will cost $15 million and will help to test autonomous and connected vehicle technology. Sensors and fiber optic cables will be installed for researchers to analyze surface condition monitoring and incident management to help with the further development of automotive innovation.
An estimated 50,000 vehicles drive on this particular highway every day, meaning a substantial amount of useful data will be collected once the plan begins. In addition, the corridor is set to connect with further developments for transportation; a hub for intelligent transportation in the city of Columbus. Ohio is considered to be at the heart of automotive manufacturing and innovation, so the corridor will help to continually improve the research in the state. It will enable world-renowned researchers to safely test the aforementioned technologies. The goal is to improve their knowledge base and create more efficiency and safety in driverless technology.
Find out more on the corridor here.
Creating the perfect room
On Tuesday, one of the world’s largest online destinations for home furnishings and décor announced the addition of a unique feature on their mobile app. Wayfair introduced the launch of ‘View in Room’, a feature which allows customers to place 2-D product images in their homes before purchasing such items. It will function through the use of the camera on their mobile devices. They can choose from 6 million of the company’s products.
The company is focused on creating new solutions to market and sell their items. As it is an online retailer, the feature helps customers make better purchasing decisions. Customers can visualize their choices and make sure they are making the right decision for their home, helping towards minimizing returns for the company. As well as 2-D images, the company has also enabled the use of 3-D images. Through its research of virtual and augmented reality, customers can see 3-D images of products using select VR headsets.
To read more on the feature, click here.
Have a great weekend!