University of Calgary’s Mathison Hall opens AI-run store
Posted Nov 8, 2023 6:17 pm.
Last Updated Nov 9, 2023 11:24 am.
A 24/7 artificial intelligence (AI) store and dining experience was unveiled Wednesday in Mathison Hall — the University of Calgary’s new building for the Haskayne School of Business.
The four-storey, 10,000 square foot, $90 million building opened in January after two years of construction, and it is attached to the Scurfield Hall Building.
Haskayne’s Food Services is serving up coffee from Calgary’s Phil & Sebastian, and in one section, food is being prepared by one of Canada’s Top 100 Restaurants, D.O.P.
The Exchange, which is meant to be a local restaurant rotation space that will see different restaurants swap out, is one of three areas for students and faculty alike to dine from. Calgary Italian restaurant D.O.P. is the first one.
Quick Eats, the autonomous store supplied by Aramark Canada, uses weight sensors, computer vision, and 12 cameras as people scan and walk through the gate into the area.
“You just take what you’d like,” said Louise Hudson, vice-president of strategic partnerships with Aramark Canada, to CityNews.
“Once you walk through the gate, whatever you’ve taken, it will come with you. You’ll have paid for that.”
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Customers download an app, create a profile, input a code meant to indicate the store, and then scan a QR code the customer will receive to enter the gate.
Hudson explains it requires no cashier, but people are ensuring it runs smoothly by monitoring the AI store.
In addition, if someone were to eat or drink a product inside the space, the AI technology will be able to detect the change.
“Let’s say you took out a bottle of Coke and you drank that in the store, and then thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to put the bottle back,’ the weight of that product is no longer what it was programmed for,” Hudson explained.
“So, the sensor won’t accept that as a product if it’s empty, and then we will still be charged for it — and it’s in your tummy.”
In photos
Quick Eats autonomous stores have already seen use in the U.S. Hudson explains the one in Calgary is the first one in Canada, and the first of more to come.
“This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s a one size fits one,” she said.
“We know that depending on where we are, we need to bring the right footprint based on the space available and the right product mix. So absolutely, we will repeat this experience across many locations in Canada.”
This also comes after an Amazon Just Walk Out store opened at the Scotiabank Saddledome in time for the Calgary Flames’ first home preseason game of the 2023-24 season.
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Catherine Heggerud, the associate dean of undergraduate programs at Haskayne School of Business, says Mathison Hall’s Food Services is a “cherry on the cake” with the new building on campus.
“We’ve had our students spread across campus for the last number of years,” she said.
“They finally have somewhere on the east end of campus where they can grab a bite to eat, grab a coffee, grab something to help them as they’re studying, or attending classes in the new building.”
She says forging strong connections with local businesses and community partners is key for the Haskayne School of Business as a school for entrepreneurs.
“That connection to the community is really important for us. And I think it’s just exciting for students to see that we’re the entrepreneurial school, you can be an entrepreneur and come back in a different capacity,” she said.
Heggerud also says an AI store that functions 24/7 can help with students who have “really weird hours.”
“Especially as we head into exam season next month. Students are here around the clock, it gives them a chance to grab something … to eat whenever they need,” she said.
Meanwhile, Phil & Sebastion partner Rob Oppenheim says the opportunity is exciting as he and owners Sebastien Sztabzyb and Phil Robertson all graduated from UCalgary, and this partnership is a return to form for them.
“To me, it’s just really exciting to see … a local homegrown business that kind of grew out of the University of Calgary, coming full circle,” he said.
“And being back here for me, it’s about 20 years later, and … it’s just great to be part of it. Good to see the energy, especially after all the COVID years. Good to see the university back with students in person.”
Haskayne School of Business saw a large number of undergraduate enrollments for the fall semester, with nearly 3,600 domestic and international students.
More information about the Food Services can be found online.
