The retail division of Evolution, the fire and security systems installer, has come up with a way to combat fraud at the self-scanning checkout tills: an IP-based self-scan till monitoring system.
Made by Vista and installed in the UK by Evolution, the system features a 10-inch monitor and built-in IP camera that begins working as soon as a customer approaches the till. Motion sensors switch the display from a logo design to a live view of the camera while showing a ‘recording in progress’ message. Customers who try and bypass the device by masking the camera will trigger an automatic audible alarm.
As the monitor and camera are powered by Power over Ethernet (PoE), installation and connection to the recording device can be achieved with a single cat5e cable. The combination of the wide-angle lens and 75mm Vesa mount allows the monitor to be positioned to capture both the customer and the packing area, whereas the aesthetic design fits in with a modern retail store.
Philip McKelvey, Head of Retail Sales at Evolution, points to the estimated losses by UK retailers of £3.2 billion of goods from self-service tills each year. He says: “If this new technology saves only a fraction of the items ‘stolen’ at self-scanning tills, it will still save the UK retail industry hundreds of millions of pounds every year.”
