While traveling back to SF from PHX, I stopped for a Dasani at one of those snacks/drink/magazine airport stores (does anyone buy magazines anymore?). I patiently waited in line and suddenly realized there wasn’t a person on the other side of the checkout counter. Confused, I walked to the adjacent register but stopped suddenly at the sight of what looked to be a Star Trek inspired 3D printer. The device didn’t produce material but gathered material– it was Mashgin’s touchless checkout system, the world’s fastest self-checkout powered by AI.
I was amazed at this beautiful machine. The technology can identify multiple items in under a second so customers can scan, pay, and be on their way. It can instantly identify packaged goods, produce, and open plates from any angle.
This innovation is so exciting. Employees are often a business’ largest expense. Business owners can hire less staff and increase revenue by reducing lines. This product is groundbreaking not only financially but also ethically. We can release employees from mundane, repetitive tasks and refocus them towards innovation and improvements. I could be speaking from my own experience, but I’ve never met someone who is in love with manning a register. With innovations like this we can let people to do people things.
There’s often a misconstrued argument that robots will take our jobs. Certainly, the workforce will have to upskill and evolve, but I think that’s the nature of human evolution. When cell phones were invented, we weren’t worried about pay phones becoming obsolete. Technology will only promote our human innovation and metamorphosis.
I am so excited for the future or robotics, AI, and Automation and can’t wait to see how technology, like Mashgin’s, disrupts every aspect of our lives.
Zen Making Robots 