The future is awesome. And terrifying. But mostly awesome.
Today in Amazon announcements, the local megacorp introduced us to Amazon Go, an 1800-square-foot brick-and-mortar grocery store at 2131 7th Ave, on the corner of 7th Avenue and Blanchard Street, that requires no checkout. You read that right: You simply use the app to scan in when you arrive at the store, grab your items and stash them away as if you’re shoplifting (you’ve got a great new excuse, criminals!) and walk out. You’ll be charged to your Amazon account and sent a receipt.
No lines! No waiting! No human interaction!
The video above tries to explain the technology—something about computer vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensor fusion, a combination they’ve named “just walk out” technology. It’s apparently the same idea behind self-driving cars.
Understandably, this store seems geared toward the young Amazon professional: Mostly ready-to-eat foods, pantry staples, and Amazon Meal Kits, which have the necessities for a quick home-cooked meal.
What excites us more is the rumored location of a drive-through grocery store in Ballard, a mysterious “Project X” that Amazon’s tight-lipped PR manager wouldn’t give us any info on (“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation,” she says).
When do we install the big sign on I-5 that reads “Amazon welcomes you to Seattle”?
