MORRISVILLE – Add tech giant Lenovo to the growing list of companies such as Amazon that are seeking to change shopping into a all-machine, automated experience.
Checking out the facial recognition system at Lenovos unmanned Go store
Lenovo’s recently opened campus in Beijing includes what the company calls is Lenovo Lecoo Unmanned Store, or Lenovo Go.
Facial recognition is a key part of the store’s technology as is a mobile payment system utilized by customers.
“Shopping at the store is quite simple,” Lenovo says in a blog post.
“You walk up to the door, cameras recognize your face, you browse the aisles, pick out what you want as usual, then—and here’s the magic—you just walk out, and your account is automatically settled via your mobile payment.”
Daryl Cromer, Lenovo’s head of research and technology, says the store will help Lenovo better understand technology’s capabilities and customer interaction.
“You can learn a lot by reading about technology, however you learn even more when applying it to specific challenges—even in a cutting-edge retail space,” he says.
“We can now understand some of the technologies and challenges our customers face, allowing us to make better devices and tailored solutions. The store becomes a powerful pilot program for technologies that move beyond the Lenovo campus.”
Lenovo plans to continue research into other shopping services, such as online and offline delivery.
Or “a cappuccino machine of the future, where you walk up and it knows your preferences and brews the beverage exactly how you want it,” Cromer said. “Which requires a hefty amount of data gathering, and AI to build your profile and make relevant recommendations based on your preferences – all of which we’ve learned how to do with Lenovo Go.”
Lenovo operates its second corporate headquarters in Morrisville.
As for when a “Go” store might land in Morrisville .. we’re checking.
