Fujitsu testing U-Scan Shopper smart shopping cart
The idea of smart shopping carts — with built-in scanners, digital store directories and wireless communication — has been around a while, but hasn't really caught on in a big way. For one thing, the carts tend to be pretty expensive; for another, there hasn't exactly been a huge demand for this from consumers. That hasn't stopped developers from looking for a way to make this work, and the latest to give it a try is Fujitsu, which is now testing its U-Scan Shopper system. One thing that might make the system more attractive to retailers — despite a $1,200 per-cart cost — is the fact that it can be integrated with increasingly popular self-checkout systems, allowing shoppers to pre-checkout items just by putting them in the cart. The system also includes a ruggedized handle-mounted display, designed to withstand the pounding a typical shopping cart goes through in parking lots, aisles and at the hands of cart-riding toddlers.
[Via Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends]
