Unexpected Item in Bagging Area Click

That's it from me.

Duncan Golestani's here at 2 o'clock.

Now on BBC News, it's time to Click.

This week...

Unexpected item in the bagging area.

Giving VR a good kicking.

And, going up?

Err, sideways.

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the self checkout.

The first one was installed in New York on August five,

1992, Amy Price Chopper.

1992, in Price Chopper.

So, what does its inventor, Doctor Howard Schneider,

remember of it all?

I hadn't gone shopping much, so I went to the supermarket

near my house with a stopwatch, and I started looking at people

checking out, and my stopwatch went "Click, click" -

it was a mechanical one.

And, you know, I said well, what a great environment.

This is so messy.

Good luck with any machine doing it...

And I said, this would be a great problem to solve.

And then I started building a machine in my garage.

I actually spent every cent I had on parts and I got

the first machines built.

See, I love self-service checkouts, but then I'm a control freak,

but I do believe they save you time.

Until they go wrong, at which point they become a right

pain in the bagging area.

The technology in the machines now is less than it was 25 years ago,

using 286 computers, using MS-DOS, 3.3...

I had better technology 25 years ago then what you see now.

Which is the reason for a lot of frustration.

Please wait for assistance.

Unexpected item in the bagging area.

Please remove item before continuing.

So now people are thinking outside of the shopping basket to try

and update the self checkout and reduce the delays further.

In Japan, Reggie Robo takes your basket and bags you're

-- your shopping for you.

The system, which was trialled at the beginning of the year,

scans that RFID tags on all of the items at the same time.

Since December, the Amazon Go shop has been undergoing

testing in Seattle.

Once it is working, shoppers should be able to pick up their items

and simply walk out of the store.

Swedish cafe company, Wheelys, is working on a similar idea.

Although this staff must shop will even come to you...

Although this staff-less shop will even come to you...

Here at Canary Wharf in London, something less spectacular but,

which seems to me, more workable and more scalable.

Grab and Go has been invented by Barclaycard.

The apps scans bar codes as you grab items off-the-shelf,

and then you just go!

Payment is taken from the card that is linked to the app,

and the receipt is sent to the phone, so you don't have

to wait in a checkout queue at all.

But, with all that grabbing and going, are you thinking

what I'm thinking?

In the future, if you're scanning things and putting it in your bag,

and then just walking out, and all the doors are open...

I can see more people stealing more stuff.

So you can basically very easily pick up some item and then walk out,

but the way you have CCTV, you have a man on the ground

basically monitoring all of that.

It works in exactly the same way.

So it's no more secure than a self scan checkout,

but I do wonder how many people would just "accidentally miss" that

bar code, and leave with a lot of unpaid staff...

Although, even here, technology might be able

to spot them.

Supermarket giant Walmart has filed a patent to incorporate facial

recognition, blood pressure and heart rate monitoring

into its stores to try and understand customer

frustration at checkouts.

It might improve customer service, but previous trials of the tech have

been used to try to spot shoplifters, raising a fuse security

concerns along the way.

In fact, only this week, the supermarket announced it is also

trialling a scan and go solution, but this one relies on shop

assistant approval before you can leave.

In China, home to several unmanned stores like this one,

you need your face to get in the front door in the first place.

Like Barclaycard's Grab and Go, customers scan items

using their phones and they can even heat up their grub

in the microwave inside.

Speaking of heating things up, a similar Chinese idea,

Bingo Box, ran into problems when one of its glass clad stores

began to overheat.

As it was unmanned, it wasn't until customers began to complain

that the sweltering temperatures were ruining the food

inside that the shop was shut down.

It is now back up and running, and everything is cool...

So, it's not all plain sailing for these souped up shops,

and it will be a while before we buy our weekly groceries in store

without some form of human interaction, or intervention.

But, as our patience wears increasingly thin in this age

of grabbing and going, it's no surprise that Bingo Box

plans to open 5000 more stores in the coming year.

Premier League football starts again this weekend,

which I'm reliably informed is important to some people.

Seriously, though, fans will be excited to see what their club's

new signings have to offer.

But, how do you know if a new player is going to be right for your team?

Well, one company is using virtual reality to identify talent and also

help players to recover from injuries.

Here is Carol Hawkins.

I'm in Manchester, home of great football, to check out a small

start-up that is joining up with Premier League clubs

for an idea that's only eight months in the making.

I feel like I'm doing pretty good!

This VR system helps scouts recruit players by using statistics

from virtual gameplay to decide whether or not the player would work

for a team.

But separately it is being used to help injured players get back

to full fitness.

Mentally and physically.

You have injured players who will often spend anything

from six months to ten months, years out of the game.

And the scientists, the physios will work with them,

but we do not know what they are going to do in a situation,

what decisions they are going to make.

Now, they can play games, as well as having the treatment,

the movement is limited but they can feel part of the squad.

They are using an HTC5 headset, with the usual hand controllers

attached to shin pads.

The kit is wireless, crucial for football drills.

As well as this vision, they are also working on one

for goalies, which will require an extra pair of sensors.

Several Premier League clubs are signing up to use the VR system

as it promises to bring players back from the bench faster.

The first question they ask - does it feel like a real ball?

You do feel like you are really hitting the ball,

it is quite strange.

I don't know if it is the sound, or the visuals, but it is very

immersive, and I know people always use that word for VR,

but it does feel as though you are hitting it...

But, of course you are not.

And because you are not, it's important players don't try too

hard and injure themselves even more, especially when they have cost

clubs millions of pounds.

We had an injured player last week who is not allowed to kick

a physical ball.

He's fit, he could probably run a marathon, but the injury means

he cannot do it.

He got in this and it was basically a case of, I feel like I am

kicking a ball.

Psychologically, it is massive.

I am now in the rehab drill and there is a man to my left

who is tracing a S with his foot.

Now, I cannot do that, because my balance on these

prosthetics just is not there, sorry, physios!

But I can see how that would be very useful for injured players,

but not just injured players, in hospitals.

Players will complete a set of exercises and drills

which will be scored, and their fitness can then be

judged by coaches.

Elsewhere in the sport world, American football

is embracing VR quickly.

STRIVR there is a company out of Stanford University,

currently working with seven NFL teams to allow players to practice

any time, anywhere, without the same physical tolls.

And in the Netherlands, another VR company, Beyond Sports,

has a contract with both Arsenal and Stoke City for match analysis

and VR training.

But back in the UK, a man who won Premier League titles as a player

and coach with Manchester United thinks the new technology

could really help.

I think it benefits both amateur, professional and grassroots.

You can put pressure into this situation.

The technology is part of sport now.

Football, possibly, have had a reluctance to use it,

but it is moving in that direction.

But the kit being offered is not cheap.

With packages starting at ?5,000 and increasing to more

than ?20,000 a month.

But the potential benefits of VR to the football clubs that can

afford it are intriguing, coaches want to train and test

footballers in the most effective way by recreating the pressure

and intensity of performing in a packed stadium.

So, what would the manager with the most Premier League titles

under his belt, Sir Alex Ferguson, think about it?

He would have a look at it, yeah.

I think he would.

He was open to all that sort of stuff.

As long as it made a bit of a difference, or sometimes

it is what people like, you know, players like it.

They like something new and fresh.

Top clubs are big businesses, and the money in football is only

going to increase.

And, as it does, teams will be looking for any way to improve.

As you watch your team this weekend, remember that last-minute win

or fingertip save might be the result of some hard hours spent

in a virtual world...

Hello, and welcome to the Week in Tech.

It was the week that the US military announced it might shoot down

civilian drones if they fly in a American bases.

civilian drones if they fly near American bases.

And, the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses

of Game Of Thrones stars were leaked by hackers demanding a ransom

from TV network HBO.

FaceApp has pulled a new feature labelled as "Racist",

which allowed users to edit selfies into Caucasian,

Asian, Indian, or black.

And social networking behemoth Facebook is taking on TV and YouTube

by revamping its video offering.

Labelled "Watch", it would feature specially commissioned shows,

as well as cat videos and clips of people falling over.

And Disney is going to pull its content from Netflix,

after the House of Mouse announced that in 2019 it's launching a rival

video streaming service, dedicated to family friendly

Disney fare.

Don't you worry, pal.

You had a good run!

There's no word yet whether the service will show any

Marvel or Lucas Film content - like Star Wars, which did

Marvel or Lucas Film content - like Star Wars, which

Disney also owns.

And finally, the man who made passwords a massive pain now says

much of what I did, I now regret.

Bill Burr created the US National Institute of Standards

and Technology's guidelines, including things like changing your

password every three months and using complicated character

combinations.

He now thinks this is a waste of time, as people still pick

rubbish passwords which hackers can break.

They are just harder for us to actually remember.

Weather, particularly in Britain, can be changeable

at the best of times.

For all the dramatic change to come over the next 24 hours,

I should know, having spent a decade as a weather presenter before

joining Click, it's not just about knowing the forecast,

you also need to be prepared whatever the weather.

And, if you are not that organised, luckily I found a couple of devices

that should be able to help...

Sunflower, open.

This prototype autonomous sunshade can be voice controlled,

or use artificial intelligence to know what to do, when.

OK, the main function here is probably pretty obvious,

and that is to protect you from the sun.

This device aims to be a little bit more clever than that.

As the sun moves throughout the day, the top of the umbrella

will also move.

The panels on it will be harvesting solar power and also making sure

that you get maximum protection wherever the sun is.

So some of the other functions in here?

Well, there is a camera and a microphone providing security

when you are out.

There's also the ability to be able to play music I ask it now,

through voice recognition I should be able to do that.

Sunflower, play classical.

CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS.

By launch later this year, it is expected to be able to fully

connected to the smart home, as well as virtual assistants

Amazon Eco or Google Home.

All very well - if a price tag of up to ?3000 does not bother you...

Sorry, hang on, I just need to charge my phone...

And for those moments the sun isn't shining,

well, you wouldn't want your washing getting wet, would you?

So, how about a smart clothes peg?

Peggy is still at prototype stage, but the finished product aims to be

able to track ultra localised weather using these sensors

within the device, as well as pulling data from online

forecasts so you know whether you should be

putting your washing out or not.

Handy, if it works.

But for keeping yourself dry, well, a few smart umbrellas,

in all shapes and sizes, have emerged in the last few years.

As much as this umbrella may look difficult to miss,

it is, of course, quite easy to leave your umbrella at home

when it's going to rain, or just to leave it anywhere,

but this connects to your mobile phone so it should stop

you from being able to lose it.

If you move too far away you will receive an alert

and if you wake up in the morning and the Internet says

it is going to rain?

Well, you will get a reminder on your phone to make sure that

you take it out with you.

The problem was, I did seem to get more alerts

than were actually required.

If you are taking a trip to the beach this summer,

then hopefully your issue won't be rain, but it could be thirst.

So, if you've been waiting for a drink delivery service

to bring cold drinks to your sun lounger,

then you are in luck.

Well, at this Estonian resort, anyway.

The Cleveron drone aims to safely drop-off drink orders

from two meters above.

I'm not sure I would opt for something fizzy...

The company claims this is the fastest response time ever

for commercial drone delivery.

So whatever the weather has in store for you this summer,

you now know how much better prepared you could be in the future.

I seem to be living in a time when all of the Tech

from my favourite childhood sci-fi films is coming true.

We kind of have Back To The Future hover boards, we do have jet packs

from the James Bond films, and robot vacuum cleaners

from The Jetsons.

And Kate Russell has been to Stuttgart in Germany to uncover

the latest storybook tech turned real.

The picturesque town of Rottweil, Germany.

Home to fearsome dogs...

Chocolate box buildings...

And a 246 metre tower housing the tallest observation

deck in Germany.

That this tower isn't just about great views.

Built by elevator company thyssenkrupp, it has 12 lift shafts

running inside of it.

One is used to transport passengers to the top.

The others to test the latest in elevator technology.

As buildings get taller, life gets more complicated

for elevator engineers.

If a building is reaching a certain height, it has the tendency

that the wind and the sun brings a certain sway to it.

It's actually a big problem for the traditional elevators.

If the frequency of the ropes equals the frequencies of the building

swayed, you get harmonics and things happened which are not so good.

To counteract this sway, thyssenkrupp have installed a mass

dampener, weighing in at 240 metric tonnes.

It can also be programmed to create sway and test how their tech handles

different weather conditions.

There's also the thorny issue of what happens

when things go wrong.

The tower houses a 250 metre fall shaft, which is used to drop things

from a fantastic height, to see how they break...

Argh!

Whoa!

That's going to -30 into the ground.

That's mad.

That makes me feel quite dizzy.

The tower is also used to test ideas designed to tackle some

of the biggest problems facing high-rise living.

Already today, lifts take about 40% of the usable space of a building.

If you build higher, you need more lifts,

and you are ending up with only lifts, which makes no sense.

So our inside area is in the core of the tower.

And only a few people really have the chance to see

what we have built, and what is running there.

An elevator without any ropes, so this is something revolutionary.

Instead of steel ropes, the cabin is carried

by linear motors.

The same tech that drives Japan's bullet train at 500

kilometres per hour.

As well as eliminating the speed and height restrictions of today's

tech, it allows passengers to travel sideways as well as up and down,

just like Willy Wonka's fantastical elevator in Charlie

and The Chocolate Factory.

Behind the scenes, behind the car, we change this exchanger 90 degrees.

Get prepared for the horizontal movement while people are entering

and leaving, and as soon as the doors close, we can go

sideways to the next shaft.

This is the most important thing, that we come back

to a circulating system.

So reinventing the Paternoster.

Using this circulating pattern means a lift shaft could hold ten

or more cabins.

Much more efficient than the single up-and-down ride today's elevators

are limited to.

And this will only become more important when we start looking

at elevators reaching perhaps 1,000m or more into the sky.

That was Kate, and that was amazing.

Not that the most impressive innovations always have to be

the highest-tech, of course.

As I've often said, some of the most inspiring innovations are those

in the developing world, that use pretty low technology

to do really important things.

Case in point - Dan Simmons heard about a group of people

who are using a mobile phone to save lives in Nairobi.

I'm on my way to Thika, an hour's drive south of the capital

to see one of the first centres in Kenya using phones

to diagnose cancer.

It's essentially a smartphone with a scope offering

42-times magnification.

That allows the camera to be placed a comfortable distance away

from the patient.

A powerful light comes with the system.

Its even brightness is critical to avoid misdiagnosis.

Violet, what is the biggest change that you have seen since this

was introduced to your clinic?

So you show them the picture...

Yeah.

And you say, you tell me which one of these you are?

So they do their own diagnosis?

So they are going to do you out of a job, if they can

do their own diagnosis with a machine!

LAUGHTER.

They are not going to need Violet anymore, are they?

Yeah!

Many women do not go for the screening.

It has been too expensive, and because of a lack of education,

many who do go feel it's a waste of time if they get the all-clear.

That's why Violet's job is to explain as well as test.

I use this to check your cervix...

Scans used to cost $40 to $50 - over half a week's wages.

This scan costs $10.

When a patient comes, you view their cervix

you have an opportunity to address them, you have an opportunity

to talk to them about cervical cancer.

So the hurdle that was previously there was education in relation

to cervical cancer.

But now we have seen an improved attitude

toward cervical cancer, and increased screening.

And, with this, we can screen any woman, anywhere.

The system isn't cheap.

It is sold at $2,000 a unit, but it has already seen an 80%

increase in the number of women being scanned at this clinic over

the last year.

If Kenya's new government decides to back the scheme,

it could become a major weapon against a major killer.

That was Dan, in Nairobi, and that's it for this week.

Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to give you the chance

to rewatch two of our favourite programmes from the year so far -

the two India specials.

We'll be travelling across the country to meet

the people working hard to change lives, save lives,

and maybe one day discover new life.

I hope you enjoy watching them as much as we enjoyed making them.

Do not forget we are on Twitter and on Facebook.

Thank you for watching, and we'll see you soon.