Lotte Mart and Super Unveil AI-Selected Premium Watermelons and Melons
Lotte Mart and its supermarket chain have announced the introduction of a new way to shop for fruit, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to select the best watermelons and melons. Starting from the 25th, customers can purchase domestically grown watermelons (weighing over 4kg) and melons (weighing around 1.2kg), specifically chosen by AI for their quality.
Enhancing Fruit Quality with Deep Learning Technology
The companies have been implementing an AI selection system since last year to advance the quality of watermelons and melons. By combining deep learning technology with their existing non-destructive sugar content selection machines, they have been able to significantly increase the objectivity and accuracy of fruit selection processes.
Detecting Perfectly Ripe Fruit with AI Precision
This advanced system allows for precise detection of the watermelon’s ripeness, over-ripeness, internal cracks, and texture issues—elements traditionally assessed by human judgment. For melons, the AI can detect not only size and weight but also signs of diseases, deformities, and external defects.
Customer Satisfaction Expected to Rise with AI Selection
The implementation of this AI system is anticipated to greatly reduce customer complaints associated with watermelon ripeness, which were prevalent last year. Through the ongoing ‘Revitalize Freshness’ project, Lotte Mart and Super are continuing to enhance their core competitiveness by improving the quality of fresh foods. This effort included the completion of quality improvement for 14 fruit items, now proudly featuring watermelons and melons selected by AI.
Comprehensive Quality Improvement from Seed to Shelf
Lotte Mart and Super’s goal is to provide delicious fruits consistently, regardless of appearance, by analyzing and improving every step of the distribution process—starting from the variety of fruit, through cultivation, selection, storage, and display—to ensure only the best products reach the customer.
Most Important Questions and Answers:
Q: How does the AI system improve the fruit selection process?
A: The AI system uses deep learning technology to objectively and accurately assess the quality of watermelons and melons. It can detect ripeness, internal cracks, and texture issues in watermelons, as well as size, weight, signs of disease, deformities, and external defects in melons.
Q: What benefits are expected from the implementation of the AI selection system?
A: Customer satisfaction is expected to rise as the AI system aims to reduce complaints about watermelon ripeness. It also aims to ensure that only high-quality fruits are sold, thus improving the overall shopping experience.
Key Challenges or Controversies:
– Adoption Costs: Implementing AI technology in fruit selection incurs significant costs in terms of equipment, training, and system development. It could potentially affect fruit prices or profit margins.
– Job Displacement: There may be concerns about AI systems displacing human workers who traditionally perform the fruit selection process.
– Technology Reliability: Dependence on AI raises questions about reliability; if the system fails or makes errors, it could result in a loss of quality or missed defects.
– Data Privacy: If AI systems collect data about customer preferences, this might raise issues about data privacy and how that information is used and stored.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
Advantages:
– Increased Accuracy: AI can consistently identify quality attributes more accurately than humans, reducing subjectivity in the selection process.
– Efficiency: AI systems can potentially analyze fruit much faster than manual inspection methods.
– Customer Satisfaction: Consistently high-quality fruit can lead to increased customer trust and satisfaction.
Disadvantages:
– High Initial Investment: Implementing AI technology requires investment in hardware, software, and training.
– Potential Job Loss: Automation could replace jobs that were traditionally manual, leading to unemployment in those sectors.
– Technical Issues: AI systems can encounter malfunctions, requiring maintenance and potentially causing downtime.
Suggested Related Links:
– For information about Lotte Mart, visit Lotte Mart.
– To learn more about the integration of AI in agriculture, visit Agriculture.com.
It is important to note that the weighing criteria (>4kg for watermelons and ~1.2kg for melons) mentioned might be specific to the selection system used by Lotte Mart and Super and might not be standard across all AI selection systems. The AI selection system is part of a broader effort to improve the quality of fresh foods, indicating a trend towards technological integration in food retail.
The source of the article is from the blog agogs.sk