Amazon opened a new grocery store today in Seattle that lets customers pick up groceries and walk out, avoiding cues at the tills.
Called Just Walk Out, the technology behind this service is underpinned by deep learning, detecting when products are taken from the shelves and when they are returned, and keeps track of them in a virtual cart.
Once customers are done shopping, they can therefore just leave the store without going to through a cashier, and are charged later on.
In order to shop at the store, customers need an Amazon account and a smartphone with the Amazon Go app installed in it.
This new system is operated by technologies such as computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning. Amazon has not yet provided further details about how these technologies work.
In an FAQ about the store, Amazon said: "Could we push the boundaries of computer vision and machine learning to create a store where customers could simply take what they want and go? Our answer to those questions is Amazon Go and Just Walk Out Shopping."
Amazon's new technology has never been seen before, and although it can make consumer experience easier, the possible impact of its wider applications on the labour market might seem concerning.
The New York Post called the new Amazon Go store the 'next major job killer to face Americans'.
Amazon has been selling grocery products online through its Fresh service since 2007, in cities around the US and in some parts of London.
The 1,800 square feet store in Seattle is currently only open to Amazon employees that are part of the company's beta programme, and will open to the public in early 2017.
