Runaway Shopping Carts

WHEN SHOPPING CARTS RUN AWAY FROM HOME

Soon it will be possible to track the peregrinations of dumpster divers with a method similar to how biologists keep tabs on radio-tagged, migrating salmon and grizzly bears.

Systems integrator Intelligentz is testing an RFID-based tracking system that would allow stores and shopping cart management companies to trace the movement of grocery shopping carts, both inside the store, as well as in the parking lot and beyond. With the Intelligentz system, shoppers could remove the carts from the store, but the store would still be able to track just how far from the store they go and more easily retrieve them.

The system can be configured to locate missing carts and trigger a wheel lock when it gets a specified distance from the store, such as 1 mile. In addition, the system can be used by a store to track shopping behavior and determine how long the wait is at a deli counter or other specific service areas, how long a shopper looks through items on a specific aisle (now this could be embarrassing), and when the number of shoppers in a store has reached a point where more checkout stands must be opened.

Unfortunately, the only thing it doesn't seem capable of doing is the one thing that would be most useful - keeping the wheels from squeeking when your local, back alley entrepreneur rolls under your windows on the way to his his 3 a.m. work shift every night.

Here's the link to the
article in the RFID Journal