An automated supermarket checkout system utilizing a SCARA robot: preliminary prototype development

Abstract

In recent years, a number of retail stores have introduced self-checkout systems at the cash point, however these normally require a high degree of participation by the customer, often leading to requests for help by store attendees. A review of the literature has shown that the use of robots at checkout points, with their potential to reduce customer effort, has not yet been addressed. A separate literature review has shown that the four-axis SCARA robot, used extensively in the manufacturing industry due to its advantages in cost, speed and rigidity, is rarely applied to service tasks. In this work these two research gaps are being addressed. A first prototype of an automated supermarket checkout system, exploiting the advantages of the SCARA robot and including machine vision, has been developed. The system is able to recognize various items placed by the customer on a conveyor, transfer the items to a container, pack them neatly, and total the bill. Evaluation of the prototype indicates that acceptable speed and reliability of the system can be attained.