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."

Comments

Re:Twice the time, twice the frustration

[skiddie]

If you're not an idiot American who doesn't know to look for scales in the veg. department, the whole process does move a lot faster at the checkout when labels are printed in advance-- whether it's the self-service checkout or the staffed one.

Usually stores do have the facility for the check-out person to enter the code and weigh the fruit themselves at the checkout, but as they only do this when tourists come to town (or the OAPs who forget) they don't remember the codes off the top of their heads and have to spend a while looking them up.

I really like the places in France (usually) that have a guy (person) in the fruit and veg section doing the weighing for you-- he's fast, he's accurate, and thus everything moves more quickly.

Re:Melons?

[plasmacutter]

bzzt! the correct response is: "she needs to watch where she slings her stomach"