Sensei has launched Dojo, which, covering a total space of 500 square metres, is pitched as the largest fully autonomous store in Europe.
Created in collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), the facility in Lisbon, Portugal is intended as a test lab.
Not open to the public, it provides an environment for Sensei and its partners to develop and test new autonomous store technologies. The tech behind Dojo is scalable for retail spaces ranging from from 150 m2 to 1,500 m2.
Features include gateless entry and exit, and an automatic card payment terminal where purchases are displayed in real-time at the end of a shop, so customers can make purchases without using an app.
There is also automated tracking of products served from assisted counters, such as a bakery, butchery or fish counter, and the integration of self-service coffee and juice machines.
Sensei’s technology ensures that these items, as well as those taken by customers directly from shelves, fridges, freezers, and fresh produce aisles, can all be tracked.
Dojo is equipped with HPE ProLiant servers, which provide computing capabilities to ensure Sensei’s AI models can process large amounts of data affordably and at speed.
Sensei´s technology uses computer vision, sensors and AI to recognise all products and customer interactions automatically, so retailers can track inventory in real-time and access a range of insights.
Vasco Portugal, CEO and Co-founder at Sensei, comments: “Friction free shopping is on the cusp of becoming mainstream. Many of Europe’s largest supermarket groups are testing autonomous store technology or have already launched a check-out free store.”
“Dojo is a big step in the roll-out of autonomous stores and a major leap forward in this retail transformation.”
“This cutting-edge facility proves autonomous store technology can work in larger store formats and shows what grocery shopping will be like for millions of people globally within the next five years. This is what all supermarkets will look like in future.”
Phil Cutrone, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Service Providers, OEM and Major Accounts, at HPE, says: “Sensei is transforming retail with cutting-edge AI to deliver a seamless shopping experience while optimising operations.”
“We are pleased to play a strategic role in enabling Sensei’s Dojo by using HPE ProLiant servers that provide an ideal foundation for critical workloads, such as powering next-generation innovations in AI and machine learning, as a result of the platforms’ high-performance, security, and reliability.”
“Together, Sensei and HPE are delivering world class innovation for in-store grocery retailers, improving customer experiences and unlocking new data sources”.
