Smart Cart

MECH 548 Vehicle Design Project

Progress Presentation

Agenda
Introduction
Attributes, Criteria and Targets
Architectural Enablers
Performance Enablers
Project Management
Costs
Impacts
References

Introduction

Motorized shopping cart with integrated self-checkout

station

Mobility integration

Enhance the shopping experience

State of the art

Motorized carts

People with disabilities or

any sort of mobility difficulty

Three or four wheels

250 to 750 lbs.

$500 to $1500

Manufacturers: Amigo, Pride,

Self checkout

Large, self-standing units.

$25,000

Large retailers install 5 -15

units

Manufacturers: FUJITSU,
IBM, NCR, ECRS

Sierra, Shoprider, MartCart,

Spitfire

Market
Product users

Customers: Main supermarket and

grocery stores chains

Supermarkets market data

$ 620 Bi in sales ; 1.9% margin [2013]

3.4 Mi employees in 35,000 stores

$ 137 sales per labor hour

Top ten retailers account for 35% of

the stores and 70% of sales

Final Client: Ordinary shoppers

Low margin, labor-intensive

Labor as ~20 % of COGS

FMI Report 2013; The Reinvestment Fund

Market
Acceptance of self-checkout

52% of the consumers lean toward

Self-checkout benefits

with systems

automated service

61% of consumers would be willing

Checkout times reduced 40%

to shop at a fully automated self-

Customers move through

service store

35% of the total sales in stores

checkout lanes increased 20%

65% of the respondents want selfservice option while shopping to

avoid queues and delays
FMI Grocery Trends 2012, Booz&Co, Nielsen

Attributes, Criteria and Targets

Attribute
Safety

Maneuverability

Criteria

Target

Speed

Not to exceed 3 mph

Stability

Support at least 500 lbs

Ergonomic

Comfortable driving position

Movement

Capable of forward and backward

movement

Turning

Able to navigate set obstacle course

Affordability

Cost

$600 or less

Longevity

Battery Life

1 hour runtime

Self Scan

Recognize object scanned

Convenience

Security

Able to recognize that the correct items

are in the basket

Archictetural Enablers

Environment

Design Concept

Components and subsystems

Structure

Powertrain

Self Check Out

Design

Rear Drive Assembly

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Electronics

Simple and interactive user interface

Bluetooth connection between barcode scanner

and database using portable devices

Barcodescanner

Getblue

Bluetooth

MS Excel

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Bill of Materials (BOM)

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Performance Enablers

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Gear Calculations

7.82

4.67
Gear 3

Gear 2

Vo

Gear 1
(Attached to
Wheel)

Drive Wheel
(Rolling w/o Slip)

Gear 4
(Attached to Motor)

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Gear Calculations

11 Tooth

86 Tooth

7.81 Gear Ratio

14 Tooth

Targeted: 36.5 Gear Ratio

Current Selection: 33.4

Current selection is a compromise based on available off

60 Tooth

4.28 Gear Ratio

the shelf parts

Limiting factor to availability is bore size to fit shaft

and common size chain between both sprockets

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FEA Analysis - Chassis

550 lbf load applied to the

platform

Fixed constraint to the axle

contact points

Displacement of 0.0078in and

max stress of 10647psi

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FEA Analysis - Wheel

225 lbf load applied to the axle location with a fixed constraint on
the outside surface of the wheel

Resultant stress was 7745.03psi and resultant displacement was .

0024in

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Project Management

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Impacts

Consumers (shoppers)

- Quicker shopping times

- Easier budgeting
- Fun experience

Environmental

Increasing energy cost

Costumers (markets)

- Lower overhead cost

- New loss prevention procedure
- Opportunity for direct marketing to consumers

Ethical Considerations

-*Complies
Consumer privacy
with

ASME code of ethics

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References

http://mentalfloss.com/article/26470/brief-history%E2%80%94and-future%
E2%80%94-shopping-cart
Accessed in 10/08/2014
http://www.scootaround.com/blog/the-history-of-the-mobility-scooter Accessed in 13/08/2014
https://nrf.com/news/retail-trends/self-service-is-king-%E2%80%A6
Accessed in 10/08/2014

Understanding the Grocery Industry, The Reinvestment Fund, 09/30/2011

Supermarket Facts, Food Market Institute (FMI), 2013.

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