The origin and prospects of unmanned supermarkets

2016At the beginning of the year, SwedenThere have been unmanned convenience stores that scan QR codes with mobile phones to enter and use mobile phones to bind credit cards for payment.

2016At the end of the year, Amazon launched unmanned convenience stores in the United States, which calculate who took which item by sensing the relative position between people and shelves and the movement of goods on the shelves. Customers can complete purchases by scanning the Amazon client on their phones without queuing or waiting for checkout.

Shenzhen Edvok IoT Technology Co., Ltd. is an emerging high-tech enterprise. Integrating product production and technological research and development, adhering to the spirit of common growth and progress, we have cooperated with multiple convenience stores that have been put into use and in the research and development stage.From the design and production of product labels, to the design and development of hardware systems in stores, to the research and development of supporting system software, Edvok has independent products and teams.

With the commercial promotion of intelligent and automated systems, unmanned convenience store systems have been promoted in an unstoppable manner nationwide. Unmanned and automated has become the preferred form of transformation and improvement in the new retail industry.

Shopping process of unmanned supermarket

Step 1: Enter the store

• For the first time entering the store, users need to open their mobile phones, scan the code to obtain an electronic entry code (sign the data usage, privacy protection statement, and payment)Terms such as the Treasure Withholding Agreement, etc,Enter the convenience store through the automatic entrance door.
• Alternatively, identity authentication can be carried out through membership authentication systems, facial recognition, and other identity authentication systems. After passing the authentication, the doors will automatically open for entry.
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After scanning the code, the back door will automatically open




• Step 2: Select goods
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• In convenience stores, customers can pick up any product at will, without any difference from regular shopping.
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• Differently, each product will haveRFIDProduct tags are used to calculate the price of the product in the next payment stage.
• Step 3: Payment
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• Flat checkout counter
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• Integrated settlement desk
• After selecting the product, place it in the settlement area of the checkout counter, and the category and unit price of the product will be automatically displayed, and the total price will be calculated. At this point, customers can place unwanted items in the disposal area. After confirming the accuracy of the selected items, they can make mobile payments by scanning codes or other methods.
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• Simulated commodity settlement interface

Out of store:



After the product settlement is completed, it goes through the final processinspectStore in the testing area.The detection area is a security zone for the small shop. When customers pass through this area, the system will automatically scan the products on their bodies. If any unsettled goods are found,The system will prompt the customer through voice or image. If the customer has settled all the items they bring, the automatic door will be opened and the customer will be escorted out of the store.







unmannedComponents of Convenience Store System

software system

As the brain of the entire system, the software part can be considered as the core of the unmanned convenience store system.The software system of an unmanned convenience store has the following important components:

1、Product settlement and anti-theft system：

（1）After the product enters the store, corresponding data is written into the label of the product through a read-write device and stored in the database to determine the type, quantity, and unit price of the product;

（2）After reading the tag information at the checkout counter, the corresponding product information, unit price, and total price are displayed on the screen, making it convenient for customers to make payments. Feedback the corresponding tag information to the customer after paymentIn the database, mark as paid goods.

（3）Customers carryWhen the product is in the detection area, the system scans the customer, reads the information on the product label, and compares it with the database to confirm whether there are any unsettled products. Otherwise, the door opens and prompts the customer, "The certain product has not been settled, please return to the settlement area for settlement

2. Product inventory system:

(1) By comparing the statistics of products entering the store with the statistics of products sold, the system automatically generates inventory reports, making it convenient for staff to supplement products in a timely manner;

(2) The staff regularly use handheld devices to conduct inventory checks on the products in the store, forming a statistical data of inventory products. Through comparison with the sales system, the number of damaged products is counted;

Edvok IoT Technology Co., Ltd. has a strong and professional software development team and capabilities, which can design, develop, and integrate software systems for different customer requirements and scenarios. Maximizing customer satisfaction and providing high-quality and excellent service.

Product label

Each product is equipped with an RFID (commonly known as electronic tag) tag, which is a non-contact automatic identification technology. It automatically identifies target objects and obtains relevant data through radio frequency signals, without the need for manual intervention, and can work in various harsh environments. At present, similar technology is also used in magnetic buckles in some libraries and offline stores. It can be said that this is a relatively mature and inexpensive solution.

Main technical features:

(1)Ultra thin soft film substrate, lightweight, thin, and compact Suitable for various packaging forms, with strong self-adhesive tape;

(2)Passive type, maintenance free, with a long service life10Over years old, repeatedly erased10More than 10000 times, high cost-effectiveness, good consistency, suitable for large-scale use.

(3)Reading distance is far (up to)10mAbove);

(4)Fast card reading speed（msAt the millisecond level, every read32bits<2msCan recognize high-speed moving objects (such as cars);

(5)It can read through non-metallic media such as glass, fabric, wood, and plastic, and can also work in harsh environments such as oil stains and dust;

(6)Good directionality, directional reading, supporting multiple readers/writers to work in the same small area without interfering with each other;

(7)Adopting anti-collision communication protocol and effective binary tree anti-collision mechanism, readable per second50More than one identification card;

(8)It can work 24/7, unaffected by weather conditions such as wind, rain, snow, fog, temperature, and does not require lighting.

(9)Ultra wide operating frequency band design, suitable for frequency hopping mode, with super strong anti-interference ability, which not only complies with relevant industry regulations but also allows for flexible development and application.(10)Users can customize read and write standards and data, making specialized application systems more efficient and efficient.

(11)The storage capacity is1024bits,The only one in the world64bitsofIDnumber,928bitsPerform read and write operations on the storage area;

Edvok IoT Technology Co., Ltd. not only has a professional software development team, but also is a company with17A manufacturer with years of experience in producing electronic tags. Design, develop, and produce personalized electronic product labels based on customers' different needs and preferences.

Hardware equipment

If the software system is the brain of the unmanned convenience store system,RFIDThe product label is the core of the entire system, soRFIDThe reading device is the backbone of this system. They connect the products with the management system, achieving unmanned management, settlement, and anti-theft of the entire retail system.

• Read and write devices
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• RFIDReader/writer

Play an important role in product listing and self settlement, responsible forRFIDWriting of product label data and reading of product information.

• Channel access control



The supervisor of the unmanned convenience store system and the core equipment of the out of store detection system.

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• handset




• Portable handheld device with wireless network, operated by staffCarry to store inventory, data collection, and statistics.




• Overall, the entire unmanned convenience store system has been built from this, and of course, adjustments and secondary development based on local conditions are often inevitable. Edvok IoT one-stop service, independently developed in all aspects, can be adjusted according to customer needs and different environments. Shenzhen Edvok IoT Technology Co., Ltd. is dedicated to serving you!