An augmented-commerce environment for real world retail applications

Abstract

Quality of service and attendance are two strong factors that may constraint the success of a particular retail system. Today's customers are very critical. When shopping, they are very demanding, requesting often the attention of the retail store's employees expecting that their requests be satisfied shortly. Information about products and goods, their location inside the store, shopping advising, or even some explanations about prices are only some of the most frequent requests that customers use to present. The Grocer project intends to bring a new way of shopping to conventional retail systems. It provides means and mechanisms to customers having support and advising through a mobile device during shopping activities. It is an effective step forward to the design and implementation of real world applications of augmented-commerce integrating a very strong component of agent-based technology. Special artefacts were developed in order to turn a conventional retail store, shopping mall, or even a public arena into a computer platform. This paper provides a general overview of the Grocer System, presenting its main characteristics, especially the ones related to the agent-based platform, agent classes and protocols, and general system's services and infrastructures.