Astra Tech has introduced its inaugural autonomous shopping store in Abu Dhabi's Sky Tower, utilizing exclusively artificial intelligence for its operation.
The innovative retail concept, called 'B Store', aims to enhance the shopping experience in the UAE by offering faster payment processing and reduced hassles. By harnessing advanced AI technology and cloud integration, B Store provides a seamless and fully automated shopping experience, enabling customers to make payments simply by using facial recognition. This integration of facial recognition technology for customer payments is a unique feature of Astra Tech's autonomous store. The store focuses on offering grocery items with an extended shelf life to ensure customer satisfaction and convenience. Through a streamlined process from entry to checkout, customers can enjoy a hassle-free and convenient shopping journey.
Here's a breakdown of how the technology operates at B Store:
- As customers approach the entry gates, they are greeted by an ELO screen displaying the message "Tap or Scan to Enter." They have two options for payment: tapping their card on the POS machine or using Payby's FacePay feature, where they can simply perform the action instead of selecting an option on the screen.
- For card payments, customers proceed to tap the POS machine with their cards. If using FacePay, they move to the FacePay machine and look at it. Once the payment is completed, the ELO screen prompts a question regarding the receipt preference.
- After selecting their preferred option, the gates open, granting access to the store. Inside, customers can conveniently and smoothly retrieve their desired items.
- Upon leaving the store, customers receive a text message on the provided phone number expressing gratitude for their visit and notifying them that their receipt is being processed. A subsequent message includes a hyperlink, allowing customers to click and easily view their receipt.
Astra Tech's autonomous e-commerce director, Valeriya Thores, expressed excitement about the launch, highlighting how facial recognition technology revolutionizes the retail landscape and underscores the company's commitment to convenience and security. Astra Tech's ultra app further complements its offerings by leveraging AI to create an autonomous store where customers can seamlessly complete transactions using facial recognition.
In January, Astra Tech acquired Botim, a VoIP solution for the MENA region, as part of its efforts to relaunch into an 'ultra app.' The company plans to continue pursuing strategic acquisitions for Botim while collaborating with its architecture, research, development, and tech teams to accelerate design and development processes.
News Source: Gulf Business
