Transforming In-Store Shopping: Caper Cart’s AI Magic Powered by NVIDIA Jetson

Instacart is setting a new standard for in-store grocery technology by integrating NVIDIA AI software libraries running on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin edge AI platform into Caper Carts, its AI-powered smart cart.

NVIDIA Jetson’s onboard AI helps Caper Carts provide a delightful customer experience while creating new revenue streams for both retailers and brands. With customers simply dropping items into the cart, real-time latency is critical for automatic and fast item recognition — NVIDIA Jetson offers a powerful platform that unlocks significant amounts of computing right on a Caper Cart.

Caper Carts also use NVIDIA Jetson to capture and process the full view of the basket and items. Caper Cart seamlessly recognizes items leveraging an advanced sensor fusion approach, tapping signals from an array of Caper Cart cameras connected to NVIDIA Jetson, combined with signals from Caper’s digital scale and location sensors.

“Caper Carts are revolutionizing grocery stores by making AI approachable for all customers of all ages. We’re using AI to deliver a delightful shopping experience directly in the aisles of neighborhood grocery stores,” said David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart. “Through the power of Jetson, we’re able to accurately and quickly capture items placed in a Caper Cart, creating a seamless shopping experience that feels like magic. By combining NVIDIA’s deep hardware expertise with more than a decade of Instacart’s grocery technology experience, we’re powering a best-in-class Caper Cart experience for customers, retailers, and brands.”

“AI-powered smart carts are helping turn grocery shopping from a chore into a pleasure,” said Azita Martin, VP of AI for Retail, Consumer Packaged Goods and Quick-Service Restaurants at NVIDIA. “Instacart’s Caper Cart, powered by NVIDIA Jetson accelerated computing and AI, is providing customers in the U.S. and Europe with the real-time insights they need to make informed shopping decisions.” 

Traditional AI implementation relies on cloud infrastructures and large data centers to power model training and inference for object detection or product recommendation. NVIDIA Jetson enables the local deployment of various types of AI models by combining high-performance, low-power compute modules with NVIDIA’s technology stack. It delivers powerful AI compute and high-speed interface support, making NVIDIA Jetson an ideal platform for applications like advanced robotics, and other autonomous products, like Caper Carts. And for environments like grocery stores where network connections can be unpredictable, NVIDIA Jetson-powered edge computing enables a reliable, consistent experience.

Retailers currently offering Caper Carts include Bristol Farms, Fairway Market, The Fresh Grocer, Geissler’s Supermarket, Kroger, McKeever’s Market & Eatery, Price Chopper, Schnucks, and ShopRite in North America, as well as ALDI in Austria. With a net promoter score of 70+ at ramped locations and suitable for retailers of all sizes, Caper Carts offer an efficient and delightful shopping experience and digital screen engagement an average of over 30 minutes per shop. 

To learn more about Caper Carts or book a demo, get in touch today.

Instacart

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Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.