NRF 2025 Technology Lookback

I couldn’t agree more with Martin’s observations—NRF was an incredible event, brimming with fascinating solutions and groundbreaking ideas. Allow me to highlight a few key innovations that truly stood out:

The Era of AI in Retail

AI is undoubtedly the driving force in retail innovation, and its rapid integration is reshaping store operations. Leveraging AI-enabled cameras, once primarily used for monitoring, has evolved into creating real-time, actionable data that enhances processes across multiple areas:

Customer Age Confirmation - Real-time verification of a customer's age for specific product categories in Self-Checkout (SCO) systems.

Shelf Monitoring - Number of times an item is touched or inspected by customers, exact counts of missing items on shelves, duration shelves remain understocked and others

Targeted Store Advertising - AI tracks customer engagement, determining which advertisements attract attention and for how long.

Self-Checkout Fraud Detection - AI ensures that all items are scanned, preventing theft at SCO stations.

Unlabeled Item Recognition - Say goodbye to manual entry errors, AI identifies unlabelled items like pastries during checkout.

Enhanced Safety Measures - AI cameras can detect distress situations, such as a cashier under threat, and automatically trigger alarms or contact emergency services.

These practical applications of AI highlight its transformative potential, turning cameras and data into indispensable tools for operational efficiency, security, and customer engagement.

What else get us interested:

Diebold-Nixdorf introduced an innovative solution tailored for retailers, showcasing impressive AI-powered practical use cases. These implementations enhance both traditional cash register lines and Self-Checkout (SCO) systems, demonstrating the tangible benefits of integrating AI into retail operations.

One exciting development in this area is Sony's Aitrios AI chip (IMX500). This chip is already making waves in mass adoption, particularly in edge AI devices, enabling advanced real-time processing and analytics. Its flexibility and performance open the door to countless applications in retail and beyond. 

For those utilizing Raspberry Pi solutions, there’s great news: you can now enhance your systems with the Raspberry Pi AI Camera (details here). Powered by the IMX500 chip, this camera provides an affordable entry point into AI-enhanced imaging, making it easier for developers and businesses to experiment with and deploy AI-driven innovations. 

Picture source: https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/accessories/ai-camera.html

At the event, various hardware manufacturers showcased their latest terminals and cash registers, highlighting the growing prevalence of Android-based operating systems. These systems are increasingly featuring varying levels of manufacturer-specific customization. While the quality of hardware and materials still varies between brands, software development appears to be advancing in the right direction, with enhanced SDKs providing developers with more robust tools.

Among the exhibitors, Sunmi stood out, presenting a new hardware line that significantly raises the bar in terms of quality and innovation. Their solutions left a particularly strong impression.

Last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to our incredible partner, PayTestLab. Your expertise and collaboration make us an outstanding team, and I’m genuinely excited about the journey we have ahead. Together, we’re achieving amazing things, and I’m confident the future holds even greater success!

And of course—Go Knicks! Here’s to an amazing season, and a special shoutout to Karl-Anthony Towns—let’s see some big plays and big wins!