DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

Caper Cart

AI-powered smart shopping cart using computer vision cameras and weight sensors to recognize items placed in the cart without scanning or weighing.

Manufacturer
Instacart
Form factor
service
Maturity
commercial
Lifecycle
active

Overview

AI-powered smart shopping cart using computer vision cameras and weight sensors to recognize items placed in the cart without scanning or weighing. Features a touch-enabled screen for navigation, product recommendations, and in-cart checkout. First smart cart in the US approved by NTEP for selling items priced by weight. Deployed at Kroger, Wakefern, Schnucks, Sobeys, and Auchan. Acquired by Instacart in October 2021 for $350M.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
commercial(Commercially deployed with revenue-generating operations.)
Verified deployments
None on file
Sources on file
1 source, view all

No verified deployments on file. DEPLOY tracks independently-sourced deployment evidence separately from manufacturer capability claims.

Key facts

Technology

Computer vision + weight sensors for item recognition

Checkout

In-cart checkout, no scanning required

NTEP certified

First US smart cart approved for weight-priced items

Retailers

Kroger, Wakefern, Schnucks, Sobeys, Auchan

Acquisition

$350M by Instacart (October 2021)

Origin

Caper AI (founded 2017, New York City)

Data & sources

Web sources

1

1 source backing this record.View all →

Pricing

No verified price is on record for Caper Cart. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.

Caper Cart on the deployment map

Where Caper Cart is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.

Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

Full change history →

Safety record

No incidents on record for Caper Cart.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (1)

  1. https://company.instacart.com/pressreleases/instacart-acquires-caper-ai-a-leader-in-smart-cart-and-smart-checkout-technology-creating-a-unified-online-and-in-store-commerce-solution-for-retailers

Common questions

What is Caper Cart?
AI-powered smart shopping cart using computer vision cameras and weight sensors to recognize items placed in the cart without scanning or weighing. Features a touch-enabled screen for navigation, product recommendations, and in-cart checkout. First smart cart in the US approved by NTEP for selling items priced by weight. Deployed at Kroger, Wakefern, Schnucks, Sobeys, and Auchan. Acquired by Instacart in October 2021 for $350M.
How much does Caper Cart cost?
Caper Cart's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for Caper Cart from Instacart. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
Is Caper Cart actually deployed in the real world?
Caper Cart is recorded at the commercial stage, but DEPLOY has no deployment verified at a named site yet; vendor deployment claims are not independently confirmed here. Manufacturer capability claims should be read as claims pending independent verification.
Who makes Caper Cart?
Caper Cart is made by Instacart, based in San Francisco, CA, USA, founded in 2012.
Can you buy Caper Cart?
Caper Cart is in commercial deployment and is sold to operators; contact the manufacturer to buy, and see the pricing section for any recorded price.
Methodology: Unreviewed · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-18

Verification posture

Unreviewed

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-18

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: commercial

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: service

Sources by quality tier

1
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Caper Cart.