5/12/2003 :: Frustrated Shoppers Turn to GPS

Discussion in 'Mobile Electronics News' started by The_Ancient, May 16, 2003.

  1. The_Ancient

    The_Ancient Full Member

    Frustrated Shoppers Turn to GPS

    May 12, 2003 -- London - Frustrated shoppers who spend hours searching for an elusive item are to be given help -- in the form of a satellite-guided shopping cart.
    Product designer Murray Laidlaw has invented the trolley, fitted with a global positioning system (GPS), to guide shoppers to their products, the Daily Mail newspaper said on Wednesday.

    The device, which will sit on the trolley handle, will also suggest recipes, advise on special offers and work out the quickest route around the store.

    "Lots of people just don't shop in a methodical manner," the paper quoted Laidlaw as saying. "This device will make shopping trips less confusing and time consuming."

    GPS, initially designed for the U.S. military, will guide shoppers by showing arrows on a screen which take them to the correct shelf.

    Laidlaw has been given a 30,000 pound government grant to develop the trolley and hopes to have a prototype within six months.

    -Reuters