Wireless Shopping Carts Run Windows CE

An anonymous reader writes "Fujitsu has introduced a self-service retail scanner that could make long checkout lines a relic of the past. The U-Scan Shopper is a ruggedized XScale-based wireless computer with an integral bar code scanner, running Windows CE 4.2, and mounted on a shopping cart. The company even suggests that customers might upload a shopping list to the store's website before leaving home, and then download the list to the shopping cart upon arriving at the store."

Comments

Vulnerability in Fujitsu Wireless Shopping Cart

[IO ERROR]

From the article:

Self-scanning in aisle -- costumers can scan and bag items while shopping to get a running basket total and eliminate waiting time at checkout

This sounds like a recipe for shoplifting to me.

Re:Vulnerability in Fujitsu Wireless Shopping Cart

[Gunsmithy]

It does, doesn't it? Maybe they'd have a weighing system in that to combat it: i.e. you put a pound of dutch loaf in the cart. That detects a pound, you scan it, and that pound is now accounted for. Dock with a POS terminal that checks your weight after scanning vs. weight when passing through, do a checksum...and if everything meets a standard deviation or two, it goes through. 'course, that's just my guess.

Re:Vulnerability in Fujitsu Wireless Shopping Cart

[dzarn]

The other problem with the system is bagging. When do things get bagged?

You do realize both the article AND THE PARENT POST said Self-scanning in aisle -- costumers can scan and bag items while shopping, right? I mean, missing the article I can understand, but the post you just read?

Re:Vulnerability in Fujitsu Wireless Shopping Cart

[MBCook]

True. But every food manufacturer could raise their prices 1 cent. That wouldn't make much of a difference to anyone.

But for the consumer, prices would drop because stores wouldn't need to keep a bunch of baggers and checkout people around. That's lower overhead, so they wouldn't need their prices as high for the same proffit. The stores would be willing to pay that extra cent (or five) from every food manufacturer to be able to get the RFID product so they could reap the benefit of not needing all those personel.

It should work out.

Re:Vulnerability in Fujitsu Wireless Shopping Cart

[grolschie]

Grow your own. It's the best way. I get up nice and early to tend me turnips before reading /. each day. ;-)

Um... so?

[PedanticSpellingTrol]

All the grocery stores here in Columbia, SC have had systems like this for at least a year and a half... and being south carolina, surely we're well behind the curve.

Re:Um... so?

[slagdogg]

Really? No such luck in Seattle, WA ... or Redmond, WA for that matter :)

We do have valet parking at one grocery store though ... something tells me SC does *not* have that.

Re:Um... so?

[nightgeometry]

Just thought I'd say - it isn't completely dead in the UK. My local Waitrose has a self scanning thing.

Personally though... I like going through the tills, lots of different little reasons, but i just like it - helps that the local shop seems to only emply hot checkout staff :)

Re:Um... so?

[jacksonj04]

Sainsbury's actually started introducing self-checkouts in larger stores about a year ago, our local one has had them for 6 or 7 months.

You scan, then bag, and it weighs things as you bag them. If the weight doesn't match then you can't keep scanning, and there's always an 'operator' to do things like keep an eye on people and verify people are 18 when buying alcohol.

The difference is instead of needing 4 people to run 4 checkouts, you need 1 person to run the same 4 and it's more convenient for the customer who doesn't want to queue.

The only downside is...

[ravenspear]

When a buffer overflow occurs a trap door on the underside of the cart is triggered and all your groceries spill out onto the floor.

Re:The only downside is...

[Quantum Fizz]

Or it would give a new take on those Total cereal commercials.

You'll have to eat 12093749283745 bowls of Raisin Bran to get all the nutrition of one bowl of Total.

Re:The only downside is...

[Anonymous Coward]

Unrelated to the idea of a crashing shopping cart, but I'm reminded of a little stunt many university friends and I pulled at one of our local supermarkets, Coles.

about a year ago I went through the checkouts and when a pack of jellybeans was scanned, the register bluescreened. I sniggered a little, but hey - I'm accepting - sometimes these things crash. It took the register guy a few minutes to get the attention of a supervisor ("It's gone blue again!") to reset the register, call up the previous parts of my shopping, and get things going again.

Supervisor re-scanned the jellybeans, and it bluescreened again. Ha!. Next time around he just entered a generic confectionary code and I went on my way. That was kinda cool, and getting back to dorms we had a laugh about it, and decided to all head down at some random busy time and try the same again.

It was cool! eight of us all went through different registers at about the same time, all bluescreening one after another with packets of Candy Lane Jellybeans.

DDoSing a supermarket, it was cool!

Re:The only downside is...

[ralinx]

a story like that is bound to impress the ladies ;)

Express Lane - 15 Items Only

[hndrcks]

Absolutely no Beowulf Clusters.

Good idea but

[CastrTroy]

When are they actually going to come up with something that will save you money at the grocery store. Maybe something like fridges that are closed, so they don't have to cool the entire store. Even the beer stores in Ontario have gone this way, cooling the entire store. Result. Warmer, more expensive beer.

Re:Good idea but

[jm92956n]

When are they actually going to come up with something that will save you money at the grocery store.

It's not about saving you money, it's about saving them money.

I work part-time at a grocery store (and 9 credits short of a masters', too), and I know how unreliable cashiers are. They call out sick. A lot. Or they simply don't show up. And then there's the whole thing about having to provide benefits--these are all expenses, and the food industry (outside of 5 star restaurants) is notoriously low margin. They have to save money where they can.

To further compound the situation, the grocery industry is facing increased competition from WalMart, everyone's "favorite" discount store. I'm in an area that's, for now at least, immune to behometh, but other areas aren't.

Perhaps you remember the prolonged grocery store workers' strike that occurred last year in California? It was because they simply can't afford to have that many workers on the books. The UPC revolutionized the industry and enormously increased the efficiency of the average cashier. Here's a technology that'll produce even more savings (for the store, of course). Even if a few less-than desirable people use it as an opportunity to walk out of the store with unpaid food, they'll still probably make out in the end.

Oh, and the reason for the open coolers? The stores have to be air-conditioned anyway (heat does evil things to food), so it doesn't make much sense to put doors on any of the cases except the frozen products, especially when lazy people object to having to put forth the effort required to continuously open doors.

Re:Good idea but

[Ced_Ex]

Oh, and the reason for the open coolers? The stores have to be air-conditioned anyway (heat does evil things to food), so it doesn't make much sense to put doors on any of the cases except the frozen products, especially when lazy people object to having to put forth the effort required to continuously open doors.

So what happens when they need to heat the store? Say, like in winter? Seems to be counter productive to heat and cool a store.

Re:Good idea but

[bluGill]

Have you done a HVAC evaluation of a store? Don't jump to conclusions too quick, in many cases these stores need to run the AC anyway until the temperature is -10f. Body heat accounts for quite a bit. Particularly when there is other equipment that gives off heat as a by-product.

As the other guy said, cold air tends to sit in the coolers, not raise up. The effect is there, but it isn't as significant as you would guess.

All this assumes that the fridges vent the excess heat outside, which is not true for all of them.

So now cities can Gripe about...

[CygnusXII]

So now Cities that have fines for shopping cart being off the premises, can fine a business for Toxic Materials being improperly stored, retained or looked after. On the other hand, the homeless can really look forward to retasking the devices and get internet access.

Re:So now cities can Gripe about...

[lukewarmfusion]

Because we all know that most homeless people are laid-off programmers.

Damn you India!

No surprise.

[Anonymous Coward]

The shopping carts are always crashing into cars in shopping mall parking lots.

These are going to be stolen, and hacked.

[Lostie]

Yup, if I saw one at my local supermarket, I'd gladly give up a £1 coin (many UK supermarkets make you put a £1 coin into them as a "deposit") to steal one. For £1, it's a bargain for sure!

Re:These are going to be stolen, and hacked.

[roseblood]

Fujitsu lists the following key features and specifications for the U-Scan Shopper:

* Processor -- 400 MHz Intel XScale
* Memory -- 64 or 128 MB SDRAM; 32 MB Flash
* Display:
o 6.5-inch reflective TFT LCD with VGA resolution
o CCFL backlight with software controls
o Temperature-based contrast compensation
* Wireless -- 802.11b or g; built-in 2.4 GHz antenna
* Scanning -- 2D imager
* Power:
o Main -- 2 6V, 7.2 aH sealed lead acid batteries in locked case
o Backup -- rechargeable lithium ion
o Piezo motion sensor implements power standby mode

Let me tell you, I'd take this thing over the metal wire carts I see stores provide around here!

Bad idea

[Anonymous Coward]

I work at a grocery store and the bags are at the front of the cashier tables (infact I just got home from work). The bags at our store are usually guarded by cashiers, but many bags are still in boxes up at the front open so cashiers and 'bag boys' can conviently refill their racks easily. Many customers already try to steal bags from the front and bag their groceries as they shop and then attempt to leave the store. Its unbelievable how gullable they think we are: "Im sorry Sir, you did not pay for those items, we will have to ask you to either pay for them, or return them". Automated scanner running Windows CE. I can already see technology gurus whipping up a hack to get free food.

A personal perspective..

[NoMercy]

A local store tiraled self-scaning, and decided to withdraw the service eventually...

people fail to scan things, so you get goods leaving the store unpaid for and coupled to that you don't have people stuck in queues, which although a bane to customers, it's while your stuck in queues that your right next to the magazines, sweets and other goods which they put there to tempt you, so they loose sales of last minute items too.

On the plus side you don't need to employ as many staff on the tills, but there normally minimum wage or just above it, so not a huge saving there concidering the new expense on the gadgets, mantance etc.

In conclusion, were unlikely to see it anywhere big-scale, though walk-though checkouts using RFID might appear, though in the UK we now have almost all the major stores offering online shopping, couple that with the local shops for fruit, vedge and the other things people like to feel before they buy and the supermarket could be comming to an end...

Dynamic pricing

[SpaceLifeForm]

The company even suggests that customers might upload a shopping list to the store's website before leaving home, and then download the list to the shopping cart upon arriving at the store."

Right. Let them know you're coming. They're sure to have a 'special' just for you, their 'select' customer.

Re:Dynamic pricing

[metoo34]

Hmm... As long as they know you're coming, let them get your groceries and have them ready when you get there. Waiting by the curb. I think this is already being done with robotic "pickers" in more of a warehouse/factory type setting with bins and conveyor belts but they also deliver. Pricey. Maybe a regular 'Kroger' type store could pay the laid off baggers to wear roller blades and do the 'picking'? I'd pay extra if I never had to set foot in the store.

Why Not Linux?

[LighthouseJ]

Why can't Linux get in on this? It seems like to me that Linux is much smaller and more flexible and secure than Windows to use in embedded devices like this. Why can't they use a free software base to produce something better? That way there's a smaller cost to market these devices to the supermarket chain you are pushing for.

The only downside is that Microsoft already has a framework for this kind of thing because it's in their own financial best interest. For a group to do this in Linux, the only interest would be in furthering Linux's acceptability in everydays lives.

Second Verse, same as the first

[pangur]

I used to work for Pathmark, a grocery shore chain in the Northeast US (specifically NY). About ten years ago the put on all their carts a screen that would notify them of specials in different lanes. You could accept coupons as they were sent to the screen.

I thought it was going to be the next wave of the future.

Within nine months, every cart had the system stripped out.

I don't know the exact reason the system was pulled (I had stopped working there by then). It was flaky, didn't always change display based on aisle, and some panels were broken, either by extreme weather (-20F that winter) or on purpose. Those are not trivial losses for a business with a tiny profit margin.

I use the self-serve checkout stands when I can. Some work fine, others keep telling me to start over from the beginning. Either way is slower than having someone else do it.

All I'm saying, is that it had better be a damn good piece of technology that saves some money on the backend before we see this stuff available at the local supermarket.

Re:Second Verse, same as the first

[Bri3D]

The self-checkout stands are great except for that they're never any faster. Why? The people using them are morons. It doesn't help that the vast majority of them talk obnoxiously and simply confuse people. I especially love the Wal-Mart ones. They run Windows 2000, as I learned after the POS(That's Point of Sale though it might as well be the alternative) application tried to read some protected memory. On these systems, every time you press a button the unit goes unresponsive for ~5secs reading audio data.

Re:Second Verse, same as the first

[n17ikh]

You're absolutely right. It doesn't help the idiotic users that the machines are absolutely user-unfriendly. I work in a grocery store with a set of U-scan machines. The bag racks are on this giant lazy susan that has a scale. The system measures weight of the lazy susan and calculates whether they're trying to take items out or something. This works all well and good except it's SLOW. You have to scan an item and drop it in a bag and then wait about 4 seconds for the weight to register before it'll let you scan another. If you're expecting to scan 20 of something it's going to take you about 5 minutes. A person has to run the cashier station at all times too, the machines can't even really run by themselves. This person has to press the "flashing red light" icon to reset the scale if it detects a problem like a missing item, and you have to do this about every 2.3 seconds if the customer is leaning on the scale. DAMMIT GET YOUR FREAKING ARM OF THE SCALE! Argh. Anyways. It's hard as hell to run the machines when it's busy because you're running 4 registers at once in reality. Also, you have to track down who is who and get them to sign their credit card slips or they'll just leave them.

Those machines also require about an hour of maintenence every day when you have to empty all the bill/coin acceptors and refill the change dispensers. The code the machines are running actually works pretty smoothly other than the scale issue and interface problems, they must have hired some good coders for them this time around. The machines run XP though, the most unstable application they could have picked for a POS system.

As for the NORMAL registers, they're even worse. They're old as hell (they run OS/2 Warp for christsakes) and there are tons of bugs in the program. Press clear too many times while you're trying to scan a check? BANG, the machine locks up and you have to reboot it. Fortunately, the system stores current application data in a central server, so when it comes back up, it comes back up to the same transaction in the same place you left off. However... They take (no lie) 20 minutes to boot up. Occasionally the machines will just malfunction for no reason. The other day the ENTIRE EFT system was down and we had to do ALL credit, debit, EBT, gift cards, WIC, and checks manually, which is a HUGE PITA and we had all our registers open and customers were still way backed up. The cause? We're currently remodeling and someone tripped over a network cable. The entire thing died for a whole day because no one knows how to troubleshoot it. The registers freeze when you try to print information on a check so you have to get the customers to write it out. The system is so limited and quirky I'm surprised it works at all.

The Kmart next to us had a self-check system for a few weeks and then abandoned it. We, however, still have ours. These four registers take up the space of three normal ones that could do 5 times as much work for about half the cost, despite having to pay cashiers. They only pay us $6/hour anyways and they stopped giving raises this year. They can afford to keep someone up front the whole night. But simply because they think it'll cost more (it's cheaper in reality) they send everyone home after 12 and the night stockers manage U-scan if someone uses it and they happen to be in the vicinity. If something goes wrong and the customer can't find a stocker, they're screwed.

Altogether, the machines are pretty stupid. Moreso when a customer with TWO BUGGIES FULL OF GROCERIES comes through U-scan when there are unoccupied cashiers. They take at least 45 minutes to check out because it's so slow. We don't care about customer service though, we'd rather be stupid and run U-scan.

I don't think we're going to get buggies with these screens anytime soon. They would all be broken within a week. Carts are abused HARD and they're pretty expensive, around $500 per cart, without adding this stuff. This isn't very viable technology, IMO.

Re:Second Verse, same as the first

[jrumney]

The self-checkout stands are great except for that they're never any faster. Why? The people using them are morons.

When they were first introduced here, like self-checkin at the airport they were faster to use because everyone else was scared of using them so there were no queues. Now that everyone uses them, it is faster to pick the cutest checkout operator and join her queue.

Part of the problem is that the ones here use scales to check that what you scan is what you put in your shopping bag, and the system keeps getting people to rescan things because the weight doesn't quite match or they were too slow putting it in the bag, or they needed to start a new bag, and if they were scanning at half the speed that a checkout operator does, they've scanned three more things since what the system is complaining about, so they end up rescanning the wrong thing and needing assistance from the checkout supervisor to fix up the whole mess.

So I don't think the morons have much to do with it really. Its just quicker to have someone who's experienced with the scanner and knows its quirks, trusted to not need the backup scales (though they probably have a camera watching them, so they're not completely trusted), and authorized to cancel the odd item and rescan when needed (though often they've exceeded their limit and need the supervisor to come and authorize it anyway in my local).

Re:Second Verse, same as the first

[Bent Mind]

I generally find the self-checkout lanes much faster. The morons in my area tend to use the regular lanes and avoid self-checkout. The units I've used don't bother with audio unless you wait for them to talk. I do prefer the units that let you sign electronicly. What's the point of self-checkout if you have to wait for a cashier? My major complaint is that all of the stores in my area insist on turning the units off at 10PM. They seem to think it's better to have 30 people wait in line for the single cashier that works at night.

Are they constructing traffic pattern maps?

[Cryofan]

I wonder if they are sending back postition signals for collection while you are pushing the cart throughout the store. That way they could map traffic pattern and speeds of all shoppers and use that for marketing analysis....

Re:this should fail

[rkcallaghan]

What is so difficult about going through a check out line? You might have to talk to a real person? Oh, how terrible.

High School Flunkie Cashier: Do you have a Value Membership Card Ma'am?

Me: No.

HSFC: Oh would you like one? You can see all of our great savings!

Me: No.

HSFC: Okay then could I get your telephone number and zip code please?

Me: No.

HSFC: Are you sure? We could use that to save your the hassle of having to bring a card with you?

Me: No.

HSFC: Alright then ... *rings up items*, *bags your food hastily, frustrated with your lack of 'cooperation'*

HSFC: Would you like to donate to the save the endangered cockroaches fund? 5% of every dollar goes to a real cockroach!

Me: No.

HSFC: Okay then will that be cash or charge?

Me: Cash. *hands HSFC a $20 bill*

Me: Excuse me, you shorted me a dollar.

HSFC: Oh I'm sorry, I can't open the drawer without a sale, could you wait to the side until this next customer is finished?

*head explodes*

At least at the local grocery store I shop at, which has a self check out, it STFU's the first time you say no, and gives correct change.

~Rebecca

They just don't get it

[93 Escort Wagon]

"The company even suggests that customers might upload a shopping list to the store's website before leaving home, and then download the list to the shopping cart upon arriving at the store."

Sounds like more work than doing what I do now, which is print out the running list we have on our main computer. I can then easily go down the list, crossing things off as I put them in the cart.

So why would I, or anyone else, use a system that is more work than how I manage the task now? Sure it might benefit the store; but why is it so hard for some business people to realize that customers aren't going to adopt a new system that provides no benefit to said customers?

(As an aside, it's not just business people that refuse to learn this lesson. I've been forced to put together web systems that end up unused because the "client" - usually a faculty member, but sometimes my computing manager - just can't grok that concept. Sheesh, try talking to your end users / customers about what would benefit them before deciding how something should work.)

I can't wait for the upgrade...

[stienman]

clippy: (In a loud voice) I see you're buying hemmoroid cream. Would you also like to purchase Tucks(tm)?

clippy: I notice you're buying a lot of antihistamine products. Would you like me to take you to the facial tissue aisle, or would you like a new meth recipe?

clippy: You're passing a great sale on bright red lipstick. Are you sure you want to pass this opportunity up? Buy some for the kids! It also makes a great marker for the person who keeps taking your parking spot.

-Adam

FUD

[ad0gg]

Tell me why linux is more secure than WinCE? These are embedded OSs. What are you gonna exploit on winCE or embedded linux? Also how is it more flexible? WindowsCE comes with source so you can strip out stuff you don't need and customize it. As for cost, it is less than $3 a device.

Blue Basket of Death

[AmberBlackCat]

I actually did have a problem with malfunctioning electronics in a shopping cart. At the Price Chopper grocery store out here, the carts have electronic braking systems that are designed to make the wheels stop rolling if the cart leaves the parking lot. Mine locked as soon as I got out of the store, well before we got to the car. I don't believe it was running Windows but you never know.

Re:Won't someone think of the children.

[T-Ranger]

I invision a world when we need exactly two employees for the entire planet.

A dog.
and
A Person.

The dogs job is to make sure the person doesnt touch the computer.
The persons job is to feed the dog.

The Old New Shopping experience...

[Nik Picker]

Okay , im speaking here from the point of view of all UK shoppers, especially the experience of Tescos.

You go into the store, and are carefully guided and directed up and down and around the aisles your ears assaulted by many multimedia adverts selectively displaying the choice supplemented goodies in the aisle of your choice. Your constantly distracted from the choices your trying to make or the effort of finding the item on your list.

When complete your cart is pushed towards one of 30 ( maybe more ) tills. now you have to locate and define the correct till for your shopping choices. Basket only ? express lane ? wide till ? 5 items or less ? cash only the choices go on .....

Now finnally you unpack, repack , and wait to pay.... here, and here I say is where my blood really boils , is where you cannot possibly leave until youve answered the instore 20 questions before payment is taken..

[till clerk :] do you have a store card ? no would you like on e ? but you get x% off or points ? are you sure ... okay okay ill take that throbbing vein as a no ...

Would you like school vouchers, petrol vouchers, sports voucers, money off vouchers ? sir sir sir , no sir put down the bread stick ......

How will you be paying ? cash ? oh dear thats a little difficult ive not been trained how to count ! .. how about card ? okay good ?

would you like cash back ? do you have vouchers ? did i mention the store card ? ...

okay do you know your pin, good ? could you enter the card pin note this fixed openly visible pin taking device enables the whole world to see you pin number ( please ignore the cctv trained to the overhead view of this till , yes it can see you pin also ! ). okay sir thanks for your pin... have a nice day ?

[end]

You know what I really want from a shopping experience ?

I go in , i put the items in the cart, i unpack, pack and pay and just leave ... no questions, no blaring adverts no constant changing of locations and product layout and no annoying after purchase snail mail spam ......

Could those stores possibly save on the bottom line if instead of finding new ways to get between the customers and the purchase they just let you buy and go ?

okay rant over, nothing to see here , move along now !

UK had these, then got rid of them...

[McCall]

We had these in supermarkets about 7 or 8 years ago, you scanned each item as you put it in your shopping cart. You could see what you had bought and you could keep track of your total bill. This could easily be brought up to date using RFID etc.

At the end of the shopping trip you re-docked your scanner in a bank, which printed out a ticket wich you paid for.

They were pulled after about 3 years of use, I don't know why, my guess is when people keep track of their shopping bill they buy less per trip - I know I did.