- It even tested the tech with people wearing Pikachu costumes, and it was successful.
- The store's tech struggled with large groups, however.
In a bizarre twist, it's the Pikachus that were doing the choosing in a test for Amazon's new cashier-less store.
According to a new report by Bloomberg, it's almost go-time for the cashier-less store called Amazon Go. Customers scan their Amazon app as they walk in. The store uses cameras and sensors embedded in shelves to track what customers pick up, then charges them for what they took when they walk out the door.
The tech has gotten much better since it debuted late last year, the report says. It's now so good that even costumes can't trick it.
)
)
)
Amazon sent in a threesome of employees dressed in Pikachu costumes, but the yellow felt did not trip up the sensors. Each costumed employee was charged correctly for the items he or she took, according to the report, even though they looked virtually indistinguishable.
The store's tech has struggled, however, to track groups like families with children who take things off the shelves, as it's challenging to identify who took what.