Innovative Retail Solution through Real-time Sensor Fusion

In order to prioritize customer satisfaction and the shopping experience, retailers around the globe are deploying increasing numbers of self-checkout facilities across their stores. These systems are not without issue, however, and continue to provide challenges associated with the accurate detection and prevention of both deliberate and accidental theft.

A single sensor operating alone, e.g. a barcode scanner or weighing apparatus, cannot make a self-checkout theft-proof. However, a more accurate view of the environment is enabled when data produced by multiple different sensors and retail equipment is combined (fused) together. More accurate views of the world mean significantly improved object detection and reconciliation accuracy. Unfortunately, the roll-out of multi-device solutions like this has been difficult, mostly due to the headache of integrating the different devices together. By adopting a modern architecture, a collaborative approach to technology, and open standards for communication, the integration complexity becomes a thing of the past.

Real-time Product Location Tracking

Items can be tracked in real-time and up-to-date inventory information can be delivered with the Intel® RFID Sensor Platform (Intel® RSP). The Intel RSP provides retailers with the best of both the physical and online worlds by connecting the store and bringing digital convenience and intelligence, while also driving revenue growth, detecting fraud and helping to prevent loss. It automates repetitive employee tasks such as inventory management, stock replenishment and retrieval of misplaced items, allowing staff to focus on delivering excellent customer service. The platform also creates new sources of data that can be used to understand shopper browsing and buying behavior.

Real-time Transaction Log and Cash Drawer Report

Real-time monitoring of sold items provided by a Point-of-Sale (PoS) system enables you to precisely monitor sales against inventory - ensuring you are selling what you have, and can provide products when and where customers want them. The HP Engage One Point-of-Sale system and Flooid Commerce Software allows for accurate reports and live payment monitoring to help prevent anomalies and discrepancies, and simplify auditing and inventory management.

Real-time Weight Sensor and Product Image Recognition

A more accurate and secure check-out process is created when data from different sensors are fused together. For example, a barcode scanner with a low-bonnet height that efficiently reads 1D and 2D barcodes is more accurate when combined with a USB camera enabled with visual inference and object detection capabilities. Accurate product recognition and object detection help prevent barcode spoofing or covering, e.g. detecting when an expensive item is scanned using a barcode of a cheaper item. Shekel Scale weight sensors help prevent missed scans and ensure that the items scanned match the expected weight of the product, particularly when checking out similar items in multiple quantities.

Real-time Employee Facial and Gesture Recognition

Real-time facial recognition does not only enhance security, especially in staff restricted areas, but also ensures staff visibility across the premises so customers receive timely support whenever needed. Notifications of any suspicious events can also be automatically sent in real-time to the nearest employee who can take the required action.

Driving Innovation through Technology Collaboration

The Retail Sensor Fusion

Real-time Sensor Fusion allows you to deploy technologies for loss detection at self-checkout and enables a more seamless and immersive customer experience. Use machine learning to connect different sensors, such as point-of-sale systems, weight scale sensors, cameras and RFIDs to accurately detect checkout items, monitor inventory and generate new data to help optimize customer experience.

Real-time Data Processing, Analytics, Visualization and Decision-making at the Edge

Data collected from a range of retail devices (including Point-of-Sale hardware, RFID scanners, weighing apparatus and smart cameras) are delivered and processed in real-time using IOTech’s Edge Xpert platform deployed on the HP Edge Gateway System. Edge Xpert merges all the available data from the sensors in real-time creating a singular picture that will help deliver actions to solve problems and enable the smart retail innovations described above.

The Open Retail Initiative (ORI)

The aim of the ORI is to promote the free exchange of ideas within the retail industry in order to drive creative and technological advancement. Through collaborations within the EdgeX Foundry community and ecosystem partners such as Canonical, Dell, Envirosell, HP, JD.com, JDA, Petrosoft, RetailNext, SAS, Shekel Brainweigh, SUSE, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Verifone, VMware and IOTech, the initiative is removing barriers to technology adoption.