WalMart files patent for an autonomous vehicle
 

Walmart filed a patent for an autonomous...shopping cart. The self-driving robo-cart will have a retro-fitted 'Roomba-like' robot drive module under their standard shopping carts. Customers can summon a WalMart robo-cart with their smartphones and follow the customers as they go through the aisles. Unattended carts in the aisles or parking lots can be brought back to a collection area. Most importantly, the carts will be equipped with sensors, microphones, speakers and video cameras to assist the shopper and it is obviously building a data-load of customer store traffic patterns and shopping preferences. Maybe I'll ask it what tasty family meals can I make for $29.86...

http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/12/tech...ent/index.html

can take the place of the rent-a-cop that rides around in the parking lot also.

Mean :v. I'll have you know I am a 'rent-a-cop' :(.

I was riding the bus the other day, and I watched a guy in a wheel chair try to navigate to his location, turn around and back into the tie-down straps.

I thought, "There's the guy that needs an autonomous vehicle with LIDAR."

Well, I suppose it was the next logical step up from their electric carts for the massively obese. But why half measures? If it's got video cameras, why do people even need to go to the store?

He was that. :)

Best use of an electric wheelchair by Mr2Tuff2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oBZGzPNQoE

so am i. :)

Don't want to put your long underwear and galoshes on? Get the snowbots out. Battlebot designers have some time on their hands...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa-ORtSaUPE

Given Walmart's adversity to so much as a fraction of a percentage increase in spending, this seems unlikely to me, somehow. They are ALL about slashing costs all the way from manufacturing to point of sale; Wouldn't it be cheaper for them to continue to pay kids $11 / hr to round up carts from the parking lot than to spend millions, probably hundreds of millions replacing their carts with robots?

Walmart auto-cart ... hmm, jokes are too easy with that - I'll be nice.