Re-imagining the shopping experience with Computer Vision and AI

using computer vision and artificial intelligence in the shopping industry

Computer vision is yet another technology that was made possible in the wake of the recent AI revolution. Thanks to modern machine learning algorithms, you can now train a computer to distinguish between objects in images and videos. This opens a world of stunning opportunities for business across industries.

Below, we explore five examples of how AI and computer vision are helping to revamp the shopping experience, both online and offline.

1. Saying goodbye to in-store checkout (AiFi)

AiFi website screenshot
A future where stores have no lines or checkout points is upon us thanks to AiFi. Image credit - screenshot of AiFi.io.

Likely inspired by Amazon Go, AiFi offers a technology that can turn your brick-and-mortar venue into a line-free store. The platform is an integrated system of cameras, sensors, and AI algorithms that capture shoppers’ in-store activities, analyze them in real time, and offer a smooth, checkout-free shopping experience. Customers just walk in, grab the desired items, and leave.

AiFi also stresses that the system can be custom-fitted to the needs of a particular store. Another benefit is that AiFi collects a wealth of analytics data that can be used to improve in-store experience, predict sales volumes, and more.

2. In-store surveillance system that never sleeps (Everseen)

Everseen AI-powered service website screenshot
Everseen can spot cheating behavior, shoplifting, and other shady things occurring at a point of sale. Image credit - screenshot of Everseen.com.

According to the Everseen website, retailers lose billions of dollars each year due to shrinkage. Shrinkage could be anything from items being accidentally left in the basket to an unethical employee pocketing money from abandoned goods that have been already paid for by the customer.

The Everseen solution is powered by Timi.ai, a framework that combines computer vision and machine learning techniques to ensure effective tracking. Timi-built ML models have been trained in the course of six years and are now able to effectively spot all sorts of irregular behaviour at a point of sale.

The solution brings value not only to the store’s security department, though. The Everseen system can also help optimize inventory placement, facilitate store management’s work, and more.

3. Introducing goods that re-stock themselves (Kwik)

Kwik Amazon Dash button competitor website screenshot
Kwik provides WiFi-enabled push buttons that let consumers restock on things in a hit.

At a glance, Kwik looks like an alternative to Amazon’s Dash button. But once you look deeper, it’s much more than that. Kwik is many things at once. It can be a programmable button that lets you quickly reorder the item of your choice. As per Kwik, they are “the first open solution that enables any brand to go with any fulfilment partner and any delivery company directly to the homes of the consumers.

But this is not all. Kwik can also help you automatically restock on things based on actual usage. It employs sensors and machine learning algorithms to calculate inventory levels for the products one uses. It will then time replenishment to optimize the supply chain involved in the delivery. Eventually, this means smarter, more efficient logistics.

Last but not least, Kwik API’s are available if a company wants an easy way to integrate Kwik into their existing ecommerce, CRM, or marketing platform such as Magento, Shopify, Salesforce, or others.

4. “Shazaming” garments in the physical world (Syte)

Syte offers a Shazam-like functionality, but for fashion items

This functionality has long existed for music. When you hear a song, you can just “shazam” it to get the name. And now you can do the same with clothes, footwear, and other consumer goods – thanks to Syte.

Syte helps connect online retailers with their potential customers in the real world. How often have you seen another person wearing something you like and had no way of learning the brand or the price? Well, now you do.

The way it works is you snap a picture of that object, and a beautiful piece of computer-vision-aided tech will take you to an online destination where you can get the item.

5. Adding a 3D layer to the flat reality (Augment)

Augment artificial intelligence and machine vision based software website screenshot
By using Augment tools, shoppers can explore products in much greater detail. Image credit - screenshot of Augment.com.

Augment is a Paris-born company that lists companies like Unilever and Coca Cola among its customers. It offers a set of tools that allow brands to provide an augmented shopping experience to their customers.

The technology adds an extra 3D layer to the experience, which allows shoppers to test-drive electric appliances, furniture pieces, and other goods in their home’s actual settings. For instance, the shopper can try fitting a real-size model of a sofa into that corner of their house, rotate it to change the angle, and do other things.

According to Augment, using their product considerably improves conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

In Conclusion

It may not be long before AI-powered devices are everywhere. If you’re ready to look into the opportunities AI technologies hold for you, contact us here at ObjectStyle. Let’s see how we can shape the future together!

Digitize

with ObjectStyle

Digitize with ObjectStyle See our work