Belgian retailer Colruyt Group has announced that it is testing a new AI-based technology that is capable of identifying fruit and vegetables in supermarkets.
It has partnered with Robovision to develop the technology, which relies on images and 'deep learning' to identify products.
The move makes Colruyt the first Belgian retailer to test automatic fruit and vegetable recognition technology.
'A Unique Partnership'
Jonathan Berte, CEO of Robovision said, "It is nice to see that our expertise in AI found its way to the store. This is a unique partnership with an innovative retailer. Moreover, the project is a perfect match with our mission: making AI more democratic."
The three-month-long pilot project is being carried out in a Colruyt supermarket in Kortrijk.
The fruit and vegetables bags offered in this outlet are reusable, and the software is designed to subtract the weight of the bag from the weight of the purchase.
The Process
The retailer has installed a smart camera above the scales in the checkout area for identifying the product placed thereon
When a customer puts fruit and vegetables in the scale, the camera takes a picture.
The picture helps the programme's software to automatically identify the product and customers then have the option to confirm their purchase with the help of a tablet.
The Benefits
The technology will help in making the checkout process more efficient by eliminating the process of entering bar codes of fruit and vegetables at checkout counters, Colruyt said.
It will also speed up the checkout process, as store staff can scan other items while customers weigh their fruit and vegetables.
Presently, the software is programmed to recognise around 120 varieties of fruit and vegetables. Initial results have revealed that the success rate of the software in identifying products is 97%.
Its ability to identify products will get better as it gathers more visual data, Colruyt said.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
