Elderly To Get Satellite Navigation To Find Their Way Around Supermarkets

Three government centers in the UK have been working on a way to use digital technology to help the elderly and the disabled. One of their ideas is a supermarket satellite navigation system to help elderly people who get confused by changing layouts in the aisles. Professor Paul Watson, of Newcastle University, said: "Many older people lack the confidence to maintain 'normal' walking habits. This is often due to worries about getting lost in unfamiliar, new or changing environments." A kitchen for Alzheimer's patients packed with hidden sensors and projectors is also in the works.

Comments

Technological solution to a social problem

[mrchaotica]

Wouldn't it be better for the supermarket to simply not rearrange their store all the damn time? Or alternatively, provide decent customer service by having employees give the elderly people directions?

How this isn't an onion article is beyond me.

[AbRASiON]

That is absoloutely brilliant and hilarious all at once.

Re:How this isn't an onion article is beyond me.

[timeOday]

I'd be interested to hear from somebody who works at a grocery store (or better yet, a big home improvement store, e.g. Lowes) how many times per day somebody asks them where to find something. 10? 100? I wouldn't mind asking a machine instead, if it worked.

Re:How this isn't an onion article is beyond me.

[nikclev]

Having worked at Lowe's, I'd venture that about 80% of the questions I got were variations of "Where is (foo)?" Usually they had a pretty good idea of what it was they were looking for, but not the exact name. They quite often knew they needed (for example) a joist hanger, but of the 14 different kinds we had they didn't know which one they needed. Thats 14 different kinds of *just* joist hangers. We had about 120 different kinds of nailer plates/menders/rafter trusses/ties/etc that are all used in wood frame construction and are sometimes called joist hangers. It can get a bit overwhelming for the customer that doesn't know *exactly* which one they need. In general, the only customers that knew *exactly* which one they needed were contractors and they had already bought them 20 times before.

It didn't bother me to help customers find items, but when the customer service manual says you should -walk with- the customer and help them (basically until they told you to go away) but the boss tells you you take too much time with the customer it gets frustrating. I completely understand why people get upset with the "It's on isle X" (and then employee walks away) type answer, but that's what some of the managers wanted us to do.

An item location service however it works would be good; but it would have to be fairly smart about helping the customer get the right name for what they're searching for to pare down which kind of joist hanger they needed, with pictures and a good list of synonyms for each product.

Re:How this isn't an onion article is beyond me.

[Anonymous Coward]

Reminds me of the time I went into a huge branch of Boots the Chemist to get some nail clippers.. I couldn't find them so asked an assistant:-

Me:"Excuse me, Where are the nail clippers, Please?"
Assistant: "For toenails or fingernails?"
Me: "Um, Fingernails... Do you keep them in different places then??"
Assistant: (Looks at me as though I'm strange) "Of course not, they're both together"
Me: "So why did you ask... Never mind, Thanks"

I didn't tell her I planned to use them on both Toe and Finger nails!! Hah!! take that! Boots Shop Assistant!!

Now hopefully....

[phantomfive]

Hopefully those people who have difficulty figuring out a new layout in a store will be able to figure out this new software tool. Knowing my grandma, I doubt it.

Oh sure

[malkir]

Teaching the elderly with Alzheimers how to use their new hand held satellite/rfid/wifi mapping device will be a SNAP!

How can this work?

[Masa]

Every time, when I hear about these in-door satellite navigation systems, I can't help but wonder, how these even could work. First of all, AFAIK, the GPS signal is so faint that it will not work inside the buildings. Also, the accuracy of the mobile tower / GPS systems might not be enough for this kind of applications.

Re:How can this work?

[koiransuklaa]

I don't think DGPS means what you think it means. It's not really used in consumer devices and it certainly will never help you in situations where you do not have a signal. DGPS mostly helps with ionospheric errors and Walmarts aren't _that_ big...

I'm guessing you're thinking of A-GPS which does help in low signal environments and is used in consumer devices. I'm still quite surprised to hear a sirf III working reliably indoors -- I've never seen that happening.

Also, surveyors using GPS in caves? Do you have a link for that? I've never heard of it before, and I have to say it sounds pretty improbable.

You mean slashdot?

[bronney]

Hang on a minute, you're saying constantly changing layout confuses people and drive people away??

Welcome to slashdot.

Re:You mean slashdot?

[mrchaotica]

It's okay for Slashdot to do it, because I'm not elderly and easily confused.

Re:You mean slashdot?

[Smivs]

It's okay for Slashdot to do it, because I'm not elderly and easily confused.

I am. Could you tell me where the Baked Beans are?

Re:Very useful

[MeatBag PussRocket]

no, now they can have one more thing they dont understand how to make work. and they'll still ask the punk highschool kid where the alpo is.

Sweet

[PopeGumby]

Sweet idea, not just for elderley, but for anyone visiting a new supermarket?

the only problem is you'd have to make sure the "markers" get moved around properly - wouldnt leave it up to the 16 year olds who are mostly responsible for packing shelves...

Re:Sweet

[X0563511]

The product is placed as per store management, if it doesn't come from even higher.

So, the clerks won't be the ones keeping the map data updated. The people altering the planograms would.

Non-issue.

Re:Technological solution to a social problem

[MeatBag PussRocket]

Wouldn't it be better for the supermarket to simply not rearrange their store all the damn time? Or alternatively, provide decent customer service by having employees give the elderly people directions?

... and stay off my lawn! spoken like a true geriatric.

Hey Grandpa...

[religious freak]

We know you're having trouble figuring out the whole "grocery store layout" concept and are trying to figure out an effective means to not shit yourself, but here's the newest 10 giga T5635 Garmin electro deluxe (now with 20% more marketing!!) to help you figure out the supermarket layout. Don't forget to check and make sure it's charged, updated with the new layouts, and make sure you angle it right so you can see it.

Aren't we helpful???

Re:Technological solution to a social problem

[X0563511]

Try that when your post 65 years old and starting to have memory problems. You will have a great time trying to remember what you need.

That would seem to defeat the purpose....

[mark-t]

Having worked in a large grocery store previously, I can tell you that a key reason for periodic rearrangement of items is specifically for the purpose of getting people to wander in the store longer, because the longer they are spending looking for something they want, the greater the chance that they will see something else they might like and pick that up too. Sure, there are also people who will get frustrated and leave without buying anything, but statistically speaking, the increased sales as a result of more impulse buying more than makes up for those lost sales. I once asked about this while I was there, and this is how it was explained to me. I was quick to point out the fact that customers don't leave as quickly would certainly carry an expense in the form of increased security requirements to keep shoplifting down, but apparently the increase in sales outweigh even that additional cost too.

Trivial Pursuits

[westlake]

The first challenge for the elderly shopper is getting to the store.

Then there is the problem is reading labels and prices.

Getting the attention of the butcher.

Managing bulky and heavy packages. Navigating the check out line with your pride and wallet intact. Making it home safely..,and packing everything away.

Product placement is in three dimesions.

Top shelf. Middle shelf, Bottom shelf. Traffic flow and product placement within the store are designed to maximize profits - not convenience.

Management can be prickly about revealing schemes that work.

What the elderly shopper needs isn't a high tech gadget. It's the box boy in the aisles. The kid willing to help out.

 

Old people

[hachi-control]

I may have Alzheimer's, but at least I don't have Alzheimer's.