If it depends on Microsoft and the Italians, the days of the ugly supermarkets we know are numbered.
The future is bright, just like in the most terrifying series of recent times. Italy's largest supermarket chain, Coop Italy, has just opened a branch with augmented reality – the first of its kind in the world. There, when you look at a pile of apples, for example, a screen automatically shows you all the information you need to know: from price and expiration date to nutritional information and tips on how to store the product.
Unlike the more ghastly episodes of Black Mirror, you won't need to put implants inside your eyes (as Google wants) or in your brain to shop in the supermarket of the future: the Coop branch works only with motion sensors, which light up panels with information when you pass in front of they. In other words: you don't need any special glasses either, just your body.
The augmented reality supermarket is in Milan, Italy, and was created by Carlo Ratti, professor of MIT. Last year, Ratti exhibited a prototype of the futuristic establishment at Milan World Expo, a fair for technology and innovations related to food. By far, the market high tech was one of the most popular booths at the event. Now, in partnership with Coop Italia, he and his MIT colleagues have managed to open the world's first virtual reality supermarket.
In total, there are 6 thousand different products, organized in a space of 10 thousand m². Hanging over each shelf, there is a panel that, when activated by one of the sensors, provides information about the products: possible allergens, nutritional information, conservation tips, price and so on. Oh, and the panels run on solar energy, so point for the planet too.
For now, the virtual reality supermarket is just a test, to see how consumers will react to the technology. If everything goes well, the idea is that all Coop branches will adopt the panels – which means that the whole of Italy could soon be equipped with smart markets. Of course, by the time things arrive here in Brazil, 2016 will already be over (and we'll probably be complaining about another year).
By Helô D'Angelo, Super Interesting
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