The End of Bar Codes in Tokyo?

Shoppers and retailers, rejoice! A new technology from Toshiba Tec that visually recognizes merchandise—vs. scanning a barcode—is being tested at grocery stores in Tokyo.

Much like “Google Goggles,” the object-recognition scanner uses a camera and pattern-recognition technology to identify items from produce to packaged goods. The device processes items based on color and pattern and is nuanced enough to tell the difference between two very similar-looking types of apples. And, let’s be honest, many humans can’t even do that.

This technology has many potential benefits for both shoppers and retailers, including a faster checkout process, fewer self-checkout errors, and reduced employee training time. Click here to see the scanner in action.

Contributed by Integer Asia-Pacific