Walmart Patents Cart That Reads Your Pulse, Temperature (vice.com)

Walmart recently applied to patent biometric shopping handles that would track a shopper's heart rate, palm temperature, grip force, and walking speed. "The patent, titled 'System And Method For A Biometric Feedback Cart Handle' and published August 23, outlines a system where sensors in the cart send data to a server," reports Motherboard. "That server then notifies a store employee to check on individual customers." From the report: Over time, the server can build a database of data compared against store location and stress response, the patent says -- potentially valuable information for store planning. Other uses outlined in the patent include a pulse oximeter, for detecting when a customer's about to pass out, and a weight-triggered assisted push feature for propelling the cart itself. CBInsights suggests that these alerts could warn associates when several shoppers need help at the same time, or anticipate when arguments are about to break out.

Comments

Umm, how?

[Snotnose]

I go to a gym. I can ride a bike, climb a mountain, or row a boat. Every fricken one of these machines has a display that shows me the exact same info, plus more regarding how hard I've been working.

Somebody explain to me with a straight face how Walmart can patent something that I've seen in use for a good 4.5 years now.

Re:Umm, how?

[anegg]

Seems more like Walmart is providing its security personnel earlier notification of potential threats.

I can't help but think there is probably some way that they plan to monetize this. Track customers, see what they get excited about as they roam the store, use that information to alter their displays and product selection to maximize revenue?

And the KGB thought it knew how to spy on people

[Crashmarik]

They have nothing on people with dollars in their eyes. Walmart just turned their stores into polygraphs that will monitor their customers physical response to advertising. Bravo. Even the Soviet Union couldn't find a way to pry out people's thoughts.

Sales sales sales

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

They'll use it so they can correlate any perceived interest in a particular product and then manipulate things to try and get you to buy it.

"Hey, his heart rate and BP spiked when he saw the Chocolate Blammo cereal boxes on aisle 4, but he didn't grab any. Quick, send a text to his phone with a 10% off coupon for Chocolate Blammo."

Don't think for a moment that this isn't the ultimate goal of this "helpful" monitoring. I mean really, do you think Safeway or Kroger gives a shit about your blood oxygen level or heart rate except to use it to sell you more shit?

Re:Sounds like Liability issues

[jrumney]

Oh come on, stop pretending you believe the story that this is for the health and wellbeing of their customers. This is for one thing, and one thing only - tracking your subconscious reaction to the advertisements and promotions they have all over the store, in order to figure out how to entice you to spend more of your payday loans with Walmart.

This is for their target demographic

[TomBauserman]

The odds of their target demographic having a heart attack in the store are pretty high. They're just trying to avoid in store heart attacks.

Re:Just evil

[Oswald McWeany]

If stuff at walmart makes your heart race, you fully deserve whatever walmart does to you.

I had a strange experience at a walmart once. I walked in and there was an attractive woman shopping there.