SHINSEGAE I&C Brings Barcode-Less Product Scanning to Self-Checkout Kiosks with ASUS NUC Powered AI
Self-checkout kiosks show great promise for the retail sector. But delivering on that promise is a challenge for both developers and retailers. An innovative barcode-less checkout solution is on the verge of changing this—offering customers a better experience while simplifying set-up and management for retailers.
Seoul-based retailer SHINSEGAE I&C is leading the way with its AI Self-Checkout solution, which enables fast, accurate, camera-based scanning of multiple products—and can be set up, operated, and updated entirely at the edge.
To support complex image processing workloads on site, a robust computing platform built for edge AI is essential. That’s why SHINSEGAE I&C turned to the ASUS NUC 13 PRO, a solution that enables these complex tasks for improved security, latency, and operating reliability.
—Alex Yu, Head of AX Center, SHINSEGAE I&C
Partnership Highlights
- The ASUS NUC 13 PRO powers AI image processing at the edge, reducing the need for internet infrastructure.
- Highly reliable NUCs ensure uninterrupted operation and reduce expensive on-site support.
- Compact, flexible ASUS hardware meets a wide range of retail infrastructure requirements.
- The ASUS NUC’s notable price/performance ratio supports Shinsegae’s goal of large-scale market growth.
- ASUS supply chain efficiency, local technical assistance, and standard 3-year warranty help increase customer satisfaction.
The Spharos Scancare, powered by the ASUS NUC Mini PCs reduces wait times and increases staff efficiency.
The Challenge: Building Self-Checkout Kiosks with Low Latency, Complexity, and Cost
To create a viable self-checkout solution, SHINSEGAE I&C needed to develop a fast, reliable system that would ensure a smooth customer shopping experience. The company’s goal was to build barcode-less self-checkout kiosks by running computer vision models at the edge. But that meant finding a computing platform powerful enough to handle AI inferencing and model updates at the edge. In addition, SHINSEGAE I&C required:
- High reliability to support autonomous stores and locations with minimal on-site IT staff.
- The flexibility to support the infrastructure needs of different kinds of retail stores.
- A cost-to-performance balance that makes large-scale deployments economically feasible.
The Solution: ASUS NUC Enables Edge AI-Based Kiosk
SHINSEGAE I&C found what it was looking for in the ASUS NUC 13 PRO family, which delivers superior performance in a space-saving, customizable, and cost-effective mini-PC package.
| Feature | ASUS NUC 13 Pro Family |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Processor | 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 with Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics |
| Form Factor | 4x4-inch mini-PC available in “Slim” and “Tall” variant |
| Connectivity | Abundant I/O options enable tailored configurations for different retail environments |
| Reliability | High reliability and low power consumption compared to GPU-based alternatives |
The Intel Core i5 version of the NUC 13 Pro can fully run Shinsegae’s AI vision solution at the edge. Shinsegae’s innovative approach to AI leverages the capabilities of the Intel optimized OpenVINO AI framework. In a real-world deployment, the system has achieved one-second multi-item scans with 99.5% accuracy.
SHINSEGAE I&C Spharos Scancare detects unscanned items and can recognize fresh produces of irregular shapes
For customers, this is a major improvement over other self-checkout implementations. Wait times are more than four times shorter, resulting in faster checkout and increased satisfaction. For store managers, setup and maintenance are much easier—without the need for specialized IT support. Other benefits include:
- Standard NUC design enables quick adoption of next-generation technology
- Compact form factor with ample ports supports different kiosk requirements
- AI computations run directly within the kiosk, reducing security concerns
- Local product supply and technical support ease Shinsegae daily operations
SHINSEGAE I&C’s automatic distribution AI model can recognize many products, from fresh fruit and vegetables to industrial products, with the ability to register new products in real time without a separate training process. The solution was validated in a trial of 100 units accessed by approximately 11,000 users per store per day, illustrating the high reliability of the ASUS NUC for demanding retail environments.
SHINSEGAE I&C’s approach is also highly secure and cost-effective. By shifting AI workloads to the edge, network security concerns are largely eliminated, as is the need for complex and expensive backend infrastructure. And because the ASUS NUC 13 PRO functions as an energy-efficient, CPU-based edge server, capital expenditures and total cost of ownership are far lower than with GPU-based alternatives.
—Alex Yu, Head of AX Center, SHINSEGAE I&C
The Future of Self-Checkout: Better Customer Experiences, Lower Costs for Retailers
In the highly competitive retail sector, companies are always on the lookout for innovative solutions that will improve customer satisfaction without adding cost or complexity.
With SHINSEGAE I&C AI self-checkout, payment processing is expedited
SHINSEGAE I&C partnership with ASUS shows how self-checkout systems can be commercialized more easily when high-performance hardware meets cutting-edge AI development. The reliability, power, and efficiency of the ASUS NUC PRO make it the right choice for SHINSEGAE I&C’s edge computing needs, helping the company create a more intelligent self-checkout experience for all stakeholders.
About SHINSEGAE I&C
SHINSEGAE I&C is a pioneer in the field of AI-enabled self-checkout kiosks and a leading retail tech company. The SHINSEGAE I&C AI Self-Checkout system recognizes products visually and completes scanning and payment in a single step. In addition, the company has developed Spharos Scancare, a vision AI-based loss prevention for self-checkout, and The Third Eyes, a CCTV-based real-time store-monitoring solution.
As subsidiary of SHINSEGAE Group, which operates department stores, supermarkets, and other commercial venues in South Korea, SHINSEGAE I&C is responsible for the retail group’s overall IT operations and has strong POS solutions and hardware manufacturing capabilities. In combination with the SHINSEGAE in-house AI development team, this creates powerful synergy.
To learn more about how ASUS NUC products like the NUC 13 PRO family enable innovative edge AI use cases, visit www.asus.com/ch-en/content/nuc-overview.