Juxta launched an autonomously operated Juxta Nomad shop that enables drivers and passengers to purchase food and drinks while waiting for their vehicles to charge. Juxta said drivers and passengers can gain instant access to the Juxta Nomad with the touch of a debit or credit card, whether carried physically or stored digitally on their smartphone’s wallet or smartwatch.

Once inside the store, customers can select from a range of snacks, sandwiches, hot drinks, and fresh fruit, or select larger items for dinner at home later – whatever the retailer chooses to stock depending on each Nomad’s location and customer purchase data. For example, operators of Nomads positioned by remote EV charging points far from any urban conurbation could prioritize drinks and snacks to be consumed by drivers while waiting for their vehicles to charge. Operators of Nomads located by EV charging stations closer to or within towns and cities could also choose to stock larger items, such as readymade meals for shoppers to purchase and consume when they return home.

Inside the Nomad, shelf and cabinet sensors instantly detect when an item is picked up, and an array of cameras will anonymously identify by whom. The information is combined in the cloud to create a digital basket for each customer. If a family or group of shoppers enter the store, Juxta’s AI-driven technology will collate their purchases.

Where legislation permits, Juxta’s technology will enable compliant retail of age-restricted items such as alcohol or cigarettes. Contained within specific age-verified fridges and dispensers, restricted items will only be released after cameras have confirmed the purchaser is of appropriate age.

Customers can verify their purchased items on a large touch screen before they exit the store. However, if they prefer to minimize their shopping time, they can walk straight out with their purchases, authorizing Juxta’s technology to record their purchases and charge their credit or debit card.

The company has concluded a trial of its first autonomous Nomad in North Carolina and confirmed four further customer Nomads in the US, which will be fully operational later this year. Juxta is also in advanced negotiations with customers in Europe, where it will introduce its first Nomads in 2024.