Earlier this month, U.S. Patent No. 9,908,760 was granted to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for “Shopping facility assistance systems, devices and methods to drive movable item containers,” which in essence, covers a robot shopping cart. The shopping cart is depicted as a typical cart with a motor attached to the bottom and includes sensors and cameras. The sensing device thereon allows the shopping cart to communicate with a mobile device and help shoppers navigate through the store. Consumers using a “user interface device,” such as a smart phone, can request a cart, which is then fetched via a roaming motor and brought to the customer. Another portion of the patent describes the system’s ability to receive an item request, search the inventory database, and send the motorized unit to the proper shelf to ensure the item’s availability. Additionally, this invention provides a tagalong feature allowing the cart to follow or lead the shopper around the store. Wal-Mart recently received patents for a wearable device that tracks customers and in-store drone assistants to assist with in-store shopping. Overall, these patents suggest Wal-Mart could be making a play toward cashier-less shopping or these could join the many other patents that are issued to large companies but never realized. #omnilegalgroup #patents #WalMart
