JD.com, Intel set up joint lab to explore IoT solutions in retail

Chinese retailer JD.com has set up a joint lab with US chipmaker Intel to explore the use of Internet of Things (IoT) in smart retail solutions. The Digitized Retail Joint Lab is expected to develop next-generation vending machines, media and advertising solutions, and technologies to be used in the stores of the future, based on Intel architecture, according to the partners. “This lab will combine our collective strengths to develop cutting-edge solutions to bring the precision of online shopping to offline players,” said Zhi Weng, VP of JD.com and head of JD Big Data Platform, in a media statement. So far, scientists have successfully merged Intel’s RRI edge computing and OpenVINO computer vision architecture with JD’s computer vision algorithms. This allows JD to analyze customer traffic and in-store purchasing habits, a solution that helps store owners to provide a more personalized and convenient experience to their customers.