Walmart is developing a robot that identifies unhappy shoppers (WMT)

pulse

July 19, 2017 4:52 PM

Video cameras at store checkout lines will monitor customers' facial expressions to try and identify varying levels of dissatisfaction.

Walmart is developing facial recognition technology to detect frustrated or unhappy shoppers.

The technology uses video cameras at store checkout lines that monitor customers' facial expressions and movements to try and identify varying levels of dissatisfaction, according to a patent filing.

If the system detects an unhappy customer, it will ping employees in other parts of the store and order them to report to a checkout register, in the hopes of alleviating shoppers' distress.

To analyze purchasing behavior, the system links customers' facial expressions or "biometric data" as its called in the paten filing to their transaction data — meaning how much they are spending and what they are buying.

Walmart says this will help stores detect changes in a customers' purchase habits due to dissatisfaction.

"Significant drops or complete absence ofcustomers spending ... may be identified," according to the patent filing.

Walmart has previously tested facial reconition technology, but later abandoned the program because it was ineffective. In 2015, the company tested the technology in an unspecified number of stores to try and detect shoplifters and prevent theft.

pulse

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng