The rapid growth of online grocery and instant retail has reshaped how fresh food is distributed in cities. In this model, consumers place orders online while nearby supermarkets fulfill them through in-store picking and instant delivery. Order pickers serve as the critical link between digital orders and physical merchandise, responsible for locating, scanning, and packing items within a limited time window. As order volumes increase, pickers must move quickly across shelves, cold storage areas, and warehouses while managing multiple orders simultaneously. This fast-paced workflow creates significant physical and cognitive demands on workers. Field research, questionnaires, and interviews revealed that existing barcode scanning devices do not adequately support this workflow. Many scanners are bulky and require continuous gripping, causing fatigue during long shifts. More critically, the picking process heavily relies on rapid finger movements and two-hand coordination. Workers constantly use their fingers to open plastic bags, separate produce, grasp items from shelves, hold multiple products, and operate the scanner trigger. When the scanner occupies the hand for extended periods, several fingers remain tied to holding the device instead of handling goods. This creates moments where workers simply “run out of fingers,” forcing them to repeatedly shift their grip, temporarily place the scanner down, or awkwardly balance items while scanning. Such interruptions slow down the workflow and increase the likelihood of dropping either the device or the products. Frescan is a Smart Scanner for online grocery and instant retail order pickers. The device introduces a ring-based anti-drop structure that allows the scanner to remain attached to the user’s palm, enabling workers to temporarily release their grip while still keeping the device secure. A symmetrical interface layout supports both left- and right-handed operation, while a dual-angle scanning module adapts to different picking postures and barcode positions. The interface is simplified so that high-frequency actions can be completed with one hand, and an integrated navigation system guides workers to the next item location, reducing search time and cognitive load. Beyond efficiency improvements, Frescan also integrates a camera-based AI recognition system to evaluate the freshness and ripeness of unpackaged produce such as fruits and vegetables. The captured images can support inventory records, online product display, and decision-making for product circulation, including normal shelf display, discount sales, or early processing. By enabling more accurate classification and management of fresh products, the system contributes to more sustainable supermarket operations and helps reduce food waste.
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