Autonomous Cabinets is an autonomous, small-format retail solution designed for hyper-proximity use cases, similar to a vending machine. It targets consumers who want a fast, convenient buying experience with dematerialized payments, while enabling item detection and identification using the same base technology as the autonomous store , adapted to a smaller footprint.
Project at a glance
Focus: Autonomous hyper-proximity retail cabinets with dematerialized payments and computer-vision-based item detection
Key demonstrators: Multi-iteration cabinet prototypes; industrial production line; cabinet calibration software; Fast App stock visibility and planogram management; check-in terminal UI/UX updates; pre-auth payments (Shift4); 5G cabinet demo (NOS)
Operation: Autonomous cabinet format with QR code and contactless Point-of-Sale (PoS) (Point-of-Sale) terminal; remote terminal management; production and deployment across multiple locations
Primary pilot locations: Galp Allo (Galp office); Portugal (Avenidas, Brisa); France (Totem); Italy (DAO)
Objectives
- Provide an autonomous cabinet shopping experience with dematerialized payments.
- Adapt the autonomous-store item detection and identification technology (PPS 1) to a smaller cabinet format.
- Improve usability, safety, and maintenance through iterative prototyping and industrialization.
- Enable efficient operations with real-time stock visibility, replenishment guidance, and planogram updates via Fast App.
- Increase scalability via remote terminal configuration and tooling for deployment readiness (hardware diagnostics) (Needs confirmation: delivered vs planned).
- Reduce equipment cost and simplify assembly (e.g., fewer cameras, shelf cost reduction, simplified processing unit).
Delivered
Creation and iteration of five cabinet prototypes with changes including a technical drawer for maintenance, enhanced locking mechanisms, external QR code reader integration, addition and later consolidation of QR code and contactless Point-of-Sale (PoS) (Point-of-Sale) terminal capabilities, and reduction of camera count while maintaining performance; planning and implementation of an assembly line during Q1 2024 and production of an initial series after validating technical, technological and functional requirements; implementation of additional quality, safety and monitoring measures for production, plus new metrics for production tracking and stock control; development of cabinet calibration software to reduce calibration time and support assembly; pilot deployment and iterative improvement in Galp Allo offices starting in early 2023, including a beta test and launch of Fast App on Android and iOS with real-time stock visibility, replenishment quantities, and planogram updates; deployment of more than 70 cabinets across customers and locations in Portugal (Avenidas, Brisa), France (Totem) and Italy (DAO); UI/UX improvements to the check-in terminal for POD and cabinet, plus remote configuration and customization per client (access, tokens, fonts, colors, logos); and development of a pre-authorization (pre-auth) payment solution with Shift4 to validate a payment method and pre-hold a client-defined amount.
Metrics / KPIs
Cabinets deployed +70
Implemented across multiple clients and locations in Portugal (Avenidas, Brisa), France (Totem) and Italy (DAO)
Pilot start (Galp Allo) - Early 2023 Pilot in Galp office environment
Summary
Autonomous Cabinets brings autonomous retail to a compact, hyper-proximity format with dematerialized payments and item detection adapted from the autonomous store . The work includes multiple prototype iterations, an industrial assembly line and calibration tooling, and real-world pilots that drove operational improvements. Deployments expanded beyond office pilots to more than 70 cabinets across locations in Portugal, France and Italy, supported by Fast App stock management and remote terminal configuration, plus pre-auth payments with Shift4.
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