You're searching for something at the grocery store, you've gone through every isle numerous times, there isn't a clerk in sight (you saw one early in the search but you were still certain you'd find it on your own), you're sure you must be close, you've narrowed it down, but it isn't there!

In utter frustration you just want to throw up your hands and yell "Where the h*** do you hide the friggen wheatgerm!!"

Well now you can. With the instant locator a voice will answer back, "Isle four, right hand side, about half way down." And the world is at peace again.

It's a voice recognition/intercom system. Microphones are in the ceiling and the answer only comes out the speaker hidden on the shelf nearest to where the question was asked, not like the intercom system that announces "price check on three"

And the microphones are super sensitive so if someone is just sort of talking to themselves and says "hmm, here is the dishwashing detergent, the floor cleaner must be nearby somewhere" . . .

Now that I see it in print it seems kinda Orwellian but it isn't like anyone is going to say anything in a grocery store that they don't want overheard. I think it would be fun, would cut down on grocery store frustration and could even be useful in other kinds of stores.
-- mack2, Jan 05 2004

This is a good idea, but it's overkill.

Target has these cute little kiosks spinkled throughout the store with phones. You pick up the phone and dial 234, and a worker-bee in customer service answers, ready to help you locate your missing item.

If he or she can't describe to you where it is, they send another worker-bee to physically guide you to it.

Very handy.

I got my husband at Target, too.
-- lauriekl, Jan 05 2004


you should make the voice vary on who is asking (told from speech patterns and inlfections and slang and etc) and how agitated they sound. as a way to calm people and make them feel more at home. you know commercial stereotyping!
-- Space-Pope, Jan 05 2004


I thought that there was a whole heap of psychology behind the layout of a supermarket and hence they are all much of a muchness.
-- po, Jan 06 2004


Oh. I was hoping for something that would let me retrieve forgotten moments. We've done grocery store locators too many times for this to be interesting.
-- DrCurry, Jan 06 2004


sp: aisle
or were you intending this to be in the Caribbean?
-- Klaatu, Jan 06 2004


I could have sworn I set my instant down right over there.
-- ato_de, Jan 07 2004


Probably not too handy at the chemists

<announcement from speaker>"The genital wart cream can be found in aisle seven"</afs>
-- dobtabulous, Jan 07 2004



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