Slashdot Mirror
Smart Self-Service Scales
Roland Piquepaille writes "German researchers have developed intelligent self-service scales for supermarkets, able to recognize fruit or vegetables placed on them (photo). The scales automatically recognize the item being weighed and ask the customer to choose between only those icons that are relevant, such as various kinds of tomatoes. The scales are equipped with a camera and an image evaluation algorithm that compares the image of the item on the scale with images stored in its database. Store managers can add items to the database. The scales are now being tested in about 300 supermarkets across Europe."
No, silly, the liberals are all off weeding their organic gardens with gardening gloves made by disadvantaged youths from developing countries. They wouldn't be so crass as to shop at a store owned by a corporation which only employs part time workers so as to avoid giving them health insurance. Besides, using the self check out supports the union workers who make the self check out as well as those who install them and maintain them. My point was that there are some direct and immediate advantages to the consumer in the self check out, something which your previous post suggested did not exist. Sorry if my response appeared flippant. As a matter of fact, when there is a single line at the register and it gets really long, I do sometimes try to find the manager and ask if they could open another register. There isn't a self check out in West Philly.