Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology has made significant strides in accuracy, thanks to a new advanced AI model.
This innovation promises to make checkout-free shopping more efficient and scalable to new locations globally, allowing more shoppers to skip the checkout line.
Key Takeaways
- New multi-modal AI model increases accuracy.
- Simultaneous data analysis from cameras and sensors.
- Enhanced deployment and efficiency for retailers.
- Improved shopping experience with fewer receipt delays.
A Major Leap in Checkout-Free Shopping
Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, which allows shoppers to buy items without waiting in a checkout line, has received a significant upgrade. The new multi-modal foundation model uses advanced AI to increase accuracy by analysing data from cameras and sensors throughout the store simultaneously. This approach contrasts with the previous method, which analysed shopper behaviour sequentially.
Enhanced Accuracy and Efficiency
The new AI system can handle complex shopping scenarios more effectively. For example, it can accurately determine the items taken by each shopper even if a camera view is obscured or multiple shoppers reach for the same item. This is achieved by processing inputs from various sources, such as weight sensors and cameras, simultaneously.
Continuous Self-Learning
The AI system employs continuous self-learning and transformer technology to improve its accuracy. It is trained on a 3D map of the store and an image catalogue of the store’s merchandise, enabling it to recognise items even if they are rearranged or misplaced. This reduces the need for manual retraining in unfamiliar shopping scenarios.
Seamless Shopping Experience
Shoppers will continue to enjoy a seamless, contactless checkout-free shopping experience. Upon entering a Just Walk Out store, shoppers present a form of payment at the entry gate. The system then maps their journey around the store, adding or subtracting items from their virtual cart as they pick them up or put them down.
Privacy Protection
Just Walk Out technology does not collect any biometric information. It only tracks how shoppers interact with products and fixtures, ensuring privacy while accurately identifying the products and quantities taken.
Expanding Reach
Currently available in over 170 third-party locations, including airports, stadiums, universities, and hospitals, Just Walk Out technology is set to expand further. More stores will be launched in 2024 than in any previous year, more than doubling the number of third-party stores with this technology.
As the system continues to learn from everyday shopping scenarios, it will further enhance accuracy and convenience, delivering the benefits of AI to retailers and customers worldwide.
