Machine Vision System Structure
The exit arch is divided into two lanes. Each lane has three cameras (one overhead and two below) that film the sides and bottom of shopping carts. Sam's Club uses a combination of 2K and 4K cameras. The system uses only the ambient light in the club to capture images.
Once the shopper passes through the arch, the algorithm completes these steps.2:
- Computer vision algorithms detect items in the cart.
- Additionally, a host of computer vision algorithms extract visual features such as shape and color from the images and cross-reference those features with products in Sam's Club's inventory system.
- Other algorithms check the products in your cart against your e-store receipts and note any discrepancies.
- The system sends the results to a mobile device held by a store associate waiting at the exit.
Sam's Club says the entire system was designed in-house, with all image processing and analysis done in-store and available within seconds.
Related: Reimagining the end-to-end retail experience with IoT technology
The algorithm was trained on images of every item sold at Sam's Club before the system was pilot tested in 10 locations, but training is a never-ending process: “We continually train our computer vision models with millions of images of Sam's Club items in different positions and lighting to reach the highest level of accuracy, so the system can recognize items no matter how they're positioned in the cart,” Sam's Club said in a blog post.2
When a new product is added to your store, it is automatically flagged and its images can be labeled and used for training.
“We are constantly looking for ways to make Sam's Club the most convenient membership club and will continue to prioritize leveraging technology to give our members a truly differentiated and enjoyable experience,” Sam's Club CEO Chris Nicholas said in a news release.
References
1. Garner, Todd. “Lead Where It Matters: Transforming the Shopping Experience.” Walmart, February 28, 2024. Leading where it matters most: Transforming the shopping experience (walmart.com)
2. Bigger companies buy smaller stores: How Sam’s Club’s AI-powered technology simplifies the exit experience for members, Walmart, April 30, 2024. Big buys, short lines – How Sam's Club's AI-powered technology streamlines the exit experience for members (walmart.com)
