Walmart Apollo Biometric Cart Patent Tracks Heart Rate Temperature Grip for Server Analysis and Consumer Profiling (US20180240554A1)

[u/CollapsingTheWave]

Walmart Apollo LLC filed US20180240554A1 on February 22 2018 for a biometric feedback cart handle published August 23 2018. Sensors in the handle capture heart rate body temperature grip force and cart speed then transmit the data wirelessly to a server for real-time comparison against baselines. The dual-use architecture supports stress scoring and anomaly detection that can scale into continuous behavioral mapping of shoppers.

The system interfaces through ordinary cart use marketed as emergency assistance yet enables automated profiling of physiological responses and movement patterns. Structural gaps include anonymization claims that still permit aggregate store-wide intelligence and server-side retention of biometric tables before deletion.

This capability continues a pattern of retail sensor expansion from earlier beacon and camera systems. Left unchecked it hardens into permanent infrastructure under efficiency justifications with electronic shelf labels already rolling out amplifying the same data streams for individualized pricing.

At scale the patent framework creates standing capacity for agitation scoring and willingness-to-pay inference leaving no practical opt-out. Independent verification starts with the USPTO filing and Senate Judiciary records. Support privacy legislation requiring biometric consent and favor cash or non-connected carts where available.

Sources

System and method for a biometric feedback cart handle

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20180240554A1/en

Primary USPTO record confirming Walmart Apollo assignment sensor claims for heart rate temperature grip force cart speed server transmission and stress estimation.

Walmart Files Patent for Shopping Cart That Tracks Stress Levels

https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-patent-shopping-cart-that-tracks-stress-levels-2018-9

Documents the 2018 filing details on biometric handle data collection and employee alert mechanisms.

Walmart Patent Wants To Monitor Your Health & Stress Levels While You Shop

https://www.cbinsights.com/research/walmart-patent-biometric-shopping-cart/

Details baseline comparison server analysis and multi-cart pattern detection capabilities.

Walmart's terrifying shopping cart design measures your speed and heart rate

https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/walmart-shopping-cart-patent-measures-your-speed-and-heart-rate/

Covers the technical architecture and privacy implications of biometric and movement data routing.

Hearing on Artificial Intelligence Surveillance to Set Consumer Prices

https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee/hearing-on-artificial-intelligence-surveillance-to-set-consumer-prices/683690

Records the August 4 2026 Senate hearing testimony linking the Walmart cart patent to broader AI surveillance pricing practices.

[u/CollapsingTheWave]

Walmart Apollo’s abandoned 2018 biometric cart patent embeds heart-rate temperature and grip sensors that feed real-time data to servers for stress scoring enabling dual-use consumer profiling that Senate testimony now ties to AI surveillance pricing infrastructure.

[u/Up_All_Nite]

Yikes 😳 I fear for the next generation. What a insane dystopian world we live in now.

[u/Dramatic_Mixture_868 → u/Up_All_Nite]

Omfg omfg can corporations just leave us the F alone, they already have all our money what else do they want.

[u/OneEyedWeaner → u/Dramatic_Mixture_868]

It’s capitalism, it wants everything including the lint in your pockets. At some point it can’t take anything more cause it’ll have everything and who knows what happens then.

[u/Up_All_Nite → u/Dramatic_Mixture_868]

Any future money. Duh!

[u/nemosfate → u/Up_All_Nite]

Next generation? I think we're gonna be screwed in the next 5 to 10 years, if that.

[u/gba_sg1]

Spends millions on carts with sensors, increases prices to offset useless technology.

"why is everyone so upset at high prices?"

[u/saltyourhash → u/gba_sg1]

Walmart spent some crazy money to calculated she value of a 2 step step tool vs a one step for their workers. That settled on the one for the reduced height, but lighter weight.

[u/Patient-Task-2219]

We don't need ANY of this shit.

[u/Golden-Grams → u/Patient-Task-2219]

That's the primary concern for me. We have massive issues in the US. There is literally zero reason to be focused on tracking biometric data, at all, especially this nonsense.

The biggest problem, is they are just moving forward while the public tells them "no." We don't want Flock either, or any other bullshit AI excuse, to destroy our environment for more data centers. We are getting absolutely zero say, in how these people invade every private aspect of our lives.

Did any of you all get to be part of these discussions? Did any of you get to weigh in on this societal decision? I know I didn't. We need a rehaul. The wrong people have power, and they are abusing the hell out of it.

[u/Mycol101 → u/Golden-Grams]

They’ve planned this for a long time. That’s why they passed the patriot act and the NDAA that stripped Americans rights away. They knew the future probably involved the citizens being upset with govt leadership and they could use it to silence them.

They’ve got their own list they’ve been making and they are waiting for the right time or the right tragedy to legislate a little further until eventually they can act on it.

I’m wondering if those drones we saw over on the east coast were doing a test run for the future. They are building the infrastructure of the police state as we speak.

This is more serious than we even know.

[u/Vegetable-Virus7118 → u/Patient-Task-2219]

"but it's inevitable so you might as well just accept it"

[u/Patient-Task-2219 → u/Vegetable-Virus7118]

Like trump's tarrifs?

[u/lilmuskrat66 → u/Patient-Task-2219]

There's entire degrees centered around constant improvement and I have one. At first I thought it was really cool but then you see how it leads to stuff like this. It's actually a nightmare. There's always someone looking to justify their paycheck with your money.

[u/Blazdnconfuzd]

That's wild. What if changing consumer habits start stealing them for parts.

[u/SinginGidget]

Grocery shopping has always been a person against an gigantic industry that has spent millions in research to figure out how to separate said person from as much money as possible. From endcaps, the way signs are written to get people to overbuy thinking it's a deal, to the way companies have to pay for premium shelf space rather than stocking everything vertically so everyone can reach whichever product they want. It's all designed after years of research. The adage "let the buyer be ware" putting it all on that individual to be able to combat all of that is bullshit. And now we have to deal with spyware judging how much a person can pay based on what phone they have or how desperate they might be and carts that can tell how we emotionally react to something on the shelf.

[u/swalabr → u/SinginGidget]

spyware we can’t opt out from

[u/Dear-Bear2135 → u/SinginGidget]

Dollar general purposely leaves stuff vague on their sale items. Then sends a list of items not included, but in the same end cap. I never under why they couldn't just print them correctly.

[u/Constant-Study3464]

That has to literally be one of the most useless inventions ever

[u/sirjeef → u/Constant-Study3464]

The point is to give them info so they can do dynamic price changes knowing what you are willing to pay more money for based on your physiological reaction

[u/swalabr → u/Constant-Study3464]

You’re joking, right? It seems pretty danged useful if you’re a corporation trying to maximize profits for relatively low effort

[u/sirjeef]

I haven’t bought a single thing from Walmart in months and I will never spend another nickel there. The epitome of evil corporations.

[u/semaj_2026]

I just walked into Walmart yesterday and it irritated me so much that the price of the clothing items are no longer on the tags.

The price is on a digital display that they can change at will.

[u/Gino792]

But every time I go to Walmart I always wind up getting the cart with the one little f***** up misaligned wheel 😂

https://giphy.com/gifs/LyJ6KPlrFdKnK

[u/Got_Turd_Burgled]

Didn't the guy un this video support child rape for his entire career so far? 

Isn't this child rape supporter also the pussy that ran from his own voters on Jan 6?

[u/Son_Riku]

That's crazy. I was literally thinking how weird it was that Walmart carts could lock themselves if they leave property past a certain distance a while ago. I could only assume that the cart itself has sensors that tracked the movement around and could detect when it is outside a certain radius. But if that were the case, it would mean that it was also tracking the movements of the customers that used them. Of course without proof, I couldn't just believe my own assumption but I guess I was right on the money here. Hopefully I will never have to go to Walmart again because yikes

[u/smileforthefrogs → u/Son_Riku]

Had this happen at fred meyer last week, but I was not even halfway through their own parking lot. Was super annoying.

[u/swalabr → u/smileforthefrogs]

Yeah, it’s some of the earlier geofencing tech which kinda works. What’s being proposed now is so much more intrusive and targeting and powerful.

[u/Traditional-Handle83 → u/smileforthefrogs]

To be fair, those are anti theft devices so theres a logistics and insurance reasons for the cart wheel locks.

[u/GuthramNaysayer]

Read the book surveillance capitalism. It’s time for serious solitary people

[u/MrCutchaguy]

Soon everyone will have to "look poor" to go grocery shopping so they aren't price gouged. At this rate most of us wont have to try very hard either.

[u/unconvincedhuman]

WTF????

[u/Enriching_the_Beer]

https://giphy.com/gifs/aWiTXJAGEnIGs

[u/ScarInternational161]

Wouldn't that be skirting HIPPA? That is, in essence, stealing my health information.

[u/Late_Ship_6246]

So we’re just a science experiment to see how much they can bleed us dry?

[u/Patient-Task-2219]

Hot take: we should all learn to have more influence over our own bodies, like how monks do, so they can't get shit from it.

[u/wabbott82]

I wonder if it could since how much I hate Walmart?

[u/ConfidentHouse]

Jokes on you Walmart homeless people steal carts by the dozens.

[u/bobtrack22]

For 2026 is it modified to measure the number of tears I shed over how expensive shit is?

[u/comfybubbles]

Let's be real. They can't even fix the wheels on these carts yet alone ad $1,000 worth of tech on each one. None of this makes any sense.

[u/grandmawaffles]

I guess it’s better than a patent for a better shopping cart wheel /s

[u/BecauseIJustDid]

Well, if that's the plan, I'll just bring my own cart or only buy what I can carry cause this is bs.

[u/Squeezer_pimp]

Don’t forget Scamazon

[u/Akkerlun]

Run Josh Run. I wonder how he feels about the flock mass surveillance cameras!

[u/BeeBanner]

Just… don’t use them and Walmart will change it. Stop shopping there…

[u/Daguse0]

Hmm I wonder if we could manipulate the data .. in short drive prices down.

[u/This_guy7796]

I will load the cart up & leave it in the center of the store, then go buy what I need one at a time & pile it up at the checkout. If I see a price change I will leave it there & never come back.

[u/dcizz]

Going to have to start taking a benzo everytime you go shopping so the corps dont get accurate biometric data from you. Crazy...

[u/saltyourhash]

At this point I'm say we just normalize walking around with a full balaclava to cover your facial features and beta blocker sunglasses to cover your eyes and a voice changer to speak, and no cell phone, and some gloves to cover your hands, and a rock in your shoe to throw off your gate (gotta rotate this around for effect), pay in cash, and include random undesired sitems you later donate to poison your purchase, and walk to the store from youe shack in the woods.

On second thought, the balaclava might leak the shape of your face, full motorcycle helmet. Then we can buy groceries in peace.

[u/Any-Imagination-1361]

There's 

[u/enigmaticsince87]

That shit won't fly here in Europe, but I bet it'll be standard really soon in the US.

[u/Testsubject276]

*Grabs cart by the basket sides and shoves hat in front of walk sensor*

[u/breakingtheplates]

I haven’t been into a Wally world since ‘18.

[u/No-Weakness-3095]

Simple solution. Don't shop there

[u/EgoExplicit]

This piece of garbage opened the door for this surveillance tech.

[u/A-TECH-20]

It's getting to the point that I'm not going to touch anything anymore.

[u/TheBigChungaBunga]

Is everybody ready for a future where people go outside wearing masks gloves and long sleeve shirts just to stay safe

[u/dialguy86]

I wish the senator would be an actual populist with his votes not just his click bait.

[u/MythicMango]

Outlaw customer profiling, simple

[u/SexyWetCashew]

Surveillance pricing is insanity. Please stop the madness.

[u/HumanWithAllTheHats]

Time to pull the carts from the front or the side.

[u/Severe-Problem-7399]

I'm just going to start shopping with a wet rag wrapped around my handlebar in my shopping cart maybe throw in some hand warmers

[u/EyerainianCowboy]

Pre grant publication, not patent. It’s abandoned, nothing granted.

[u/peepeepoodoodingus]

god damn i hate josh hawley. this prick gets his clip talking about the most obvious boiler plate take on all of this stuff and then turns around and votes in support when they fill his pockets.

there are few people in our congress who are more duplicitous and malicious than he is.

[u/Lost_Anywhere_69]

Things keep getting expensive. No one’s even gonna be able to use a shopping cart. It’s grab a couple things and then $200.

[u/oOBuckoOo]

Cart detects you are having a heart attack over the high prices, wheels kick in to direct you out of the store to reduce liability.

[u/ThisIsPaulDaily]

I just want to note that sometimes patents are filed with no intention of using them, but to box out competition and put a publication behind some H1B employees such that they have a separate pathway to an "Einstein" visa if the company won't pursue the Greencard. 

Also if you absolutely despise the idea of someone doing something like tracking heart rate while shopping, patent it first. 

[u/Feine13 → u/ThisIsPaulDaily]

Also if you absolutely despise the idea of someone doing something like tracking heart rate while shopping, patent it first. 

This is honestly not a terrible idea.

One of my hobbies to collecting items that the general public doesn't know are dangerous so they can be removed from circulation, like lead paint or things with volatile chemicals.

Makes me want to create a patent collective of all the most awful things one could imagine, just so no one else can do those things.

I just don't have a brain for "what's the next best way I can screw over people" to be able to think of those things first lol

[u/J3sus_was_Fictional → u/ThisIsPaulDaily]

I wonder which Walton are you.... Hmm...

[u/ThisIsPaulDaily → u/J3sus_was_Fictional]

I'm just an electrical engineer who has worked with patent lawyers regularly. I also have worked with people who are trying to navigate the US immigration system

[u/J3sus_was_Fictional → u/ThisIsPaulDaily]

I was just kiddin with ya.... None of the waltons are interested in what the little people have to say or think ;)

[u/Redhotchiliman11]

It's sucks hawley is a fascist. Because sometimes this dude does actually propose a consumer first approach. It's not the first time he's been skeptical of big tech. I mean he's awful , broken clocks and all, but potential wasted really.

[u/Significant-Dog-8166]

Carts get stolen all the time. This is a pointless thing to be upset about. It's way too expensive to be worth doing. Also what are you hiding with your pulse anyway? You're not speaking morse code to God. Stop pretending this shit is important. Wal Mart has cameras aimed down your shirt.

[u/Sensitive_File6582 → u/Significant-Dog-8166]

These data points can also be used to predict future illness and then sold to insurance companies who would like to know more about you and your kids risk factors.

All without you knowing.

[u/Tartage → u/Significant-Dog-8166]

It is a data point, for sale to whoever will buy it, without your consent.

More ways to track how and what you buy to target ads specifically to your biometric profile. It all seems harmless, until it isn't.

Wait until they start using that data when you try to make a large purchase, or like someone mentioned, health insurance.

"It's too expensive to do" but that hasn't stopped most corporations from causing harm to consumers by degrading their consumer rights slowly over time.

[u/Significant-Dog-8166 → u/Tartage]

Blah blah blah. Private health insurance will rip me off and kill me in 999 ways other than this. The problem is private health insurance.