Fujitsu intelligent shopping trolley

Australian supermarket shoppers will soon get to road test a high tech version of the much-maligned shopping trolley. The new model has a display screen, which allows shoppers to scan items as they shop, reducing the time they need to spend at the check out counter. And a selling point for retailers is that the trolley can advertise specials in each aisle and can even remind regular customers what they might have forgotten. So, is it a time saver or big brother on wheels? This is a regular shopping trolley, but with a wireless touch-screen computer mounted on it. Once you've collected your 'smart' trolley, download your shopping list so that you don't forget what you came to buy. As you cruise the aisles, you can use the computer to give you the location and availability of what you want. If the shelf label is missing, scan the item to look the price up. The computer will advertise the specials in each aisle so you never miss a bargain. You can order in-store things (such as from the deli or the pharmacy) and receive an alert once they're ready for pick-up. Some exotic ingredient caught your fancy? Look up suitable recipes on the spot. Scan and bag your shopping as you go, and the computer gives you a running total (useful for those who always spend more than they'd intended), and hopefully, you can zip through checkout when you're done.
Via Brendan Trembath